Summary

  • Secret Level, an anthology series based on popular video games, will be released in two batches.
  • The split release strategy aims to build momentum between episode drops and aligns with industry best practices.
  • The series has received mixed reviews so far, with some highly anticipated episodes still to come in the second release.

Secret Level is one of the last video game adaptations to be released this year. It brings to the screen not just one game but over 15 different stories, but its release schedule is not the most typical.

Coming from the creators of Love, Death + Robots, Secret Level is a new anthology series consisting of short animated stories based on the worlds of popular video game IP. Secret Level has a voice cast stacked with A-listers including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, Kevin Hart, Temuera Morrison, and Gabriel Luna, to name a few. The series adapts some of pop culture’s most popular games such as Dungeons & Dragons, Armored Core, and it even has a surprising take on PAC-MAN.

Those looking forward to Secret Level should be aware that its release schedule is not typical. The series comprises 15 episodes, eight of which have been released on Prime Video as of December 10. The second batch of episodes is set to arrive a week later on December 17. The schedule is as follows:

December 10 (8 Episodes)

  • Episode 1: Dungeons & Dragons
  • Episode 2: Sifu
  • Episode 3: New World
  • Episode 4: Unreal Tournament
  • Episode 5: Warhammer 40,000
  • Episode 6: PAC-MAN
  • Episode 7: Crossfire
  • Episode 8: Armored Core

December 17 (7 Episodes)

  • The Outer Worlds
  • Mega Man
  • Exodus
  • Spelunky
  • Concord
  • PlayStation
  • Honor of Kings

Why Secret Level Opted For A Staggered Release Schedule

Producers Tim Willer and Dave Wilson explained why Secret Level chose the split release schedule rather than a weekly or all-at-once drop in an interview with Collider earlier in the year. Miller pointed to best practices in the industry and the potential to gain momentum between episode drops as the main reasons Secret Level went with the split release idea.

“15 is not divisible by two. It’s two drops. The main reason, for a variety of reasons, is I like the idea of the show building a little momentum. Hopefully, there's word of mouth, and people can come back. But also — I think it was you that told me — that's been established as best practices.”

The split release strategy has become something of a trend with new TV shows in Hollywood. Netflix in particular has adopted a two-part release schedule for its shows and utilized it for recent seasons of Emily in Paris, Stranger Things, and Bridgerton. However, usually, Netflix’s split releases include a gap of a few months, whereas Secret Level fans will only have to wait one week.

Secret Level’s first episodes debuted to mixed reviews. Many have praised the animation quality throughout the series, but have also pointed to the stories of each game adaptation being hit or miss. As of the time of writing, the series sits at 64% on Rotten Tomatoes. Some of the standouts from the first half of the season have been the Warhammer 40,000 episode and the Keanu Reeves’ starring Armored Core story. Looking ahead to Secret Level’s second batch, fans have the much-anticipated PlayStation-focused episode to look forward to, which has already hinted at the appearance of beloved characters like Kratos from God of War and Jin from Ghost of Tsushima. The Outer Worlds and Mega Man episodes are also highly anticipated.

Secret Level’s first eight episodes are available now on Prime Video. The second batch will be available from December 17.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
secret-level-poster.jpg
Secret Level
Display card tags widget
TV-14
Animation
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Action
Adventure
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
December 10, 2024
Network
Amazon Prime Video
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Amazon Prime Video's Secret Level is an animated series that explores different gaming worlds, telling short stories within them. Some of the featured games include Armored Core, Sifu, Unreal Tournament, Concord, Ghost of Tsushima, Pac-Man, and The Outer Worlds.

Cast
Keanu Reeves, Parry Shen, Ping Wu, Lydia Look, Nelson Lee, Feodor Chin, Rae Lim, Erin Yvette, Temuera Morrison, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Steve Blum, Noah Manzoor, Madeleine Knight, Laura Wohlwend, Delroy Atkinson, Umulisa Gahiga, Paul Ridley, Rita Estevanovich, Tracy Wiles, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Pacey, Gabriel Luna, Arazou Baker
Main Genre
Animation
Seasons
1
Production Company
Blur Studio, Amazon MGM Studios
Streaming Service(s)
Amazon Prime Video
Creator(s)
Tim Miller