Inside the High-Stakes World of E-Sports: Celine Song Boards Damage for HBO
The Past Lives director explores ambition, pressure, and rivalry online.
Celine Song isn’t slowing down after the critical success of Past Lives or the anticipation building around her upcoming rom-com Materialists.
Her next move is Damage, a new HBO series set in the hyper-competitive world of e-sports — a subculture where ambition, obsession, and burnout often blur together.
Currently in early development with HBO and A24, the series will be written by Song, who’s also expected to direct the pilot. While plot specifics remain under wraps, the project marks a bold tonal shift from her film work — trading quiet longing for the high-pressure glare of competitive gaming. Still, her focus on human emotion and unspoken conflict is likely to remain at the core.
With Damage, Song is poised to bring her signature emotional depth into a world driven by performance, identity, and digital intensity. If her past work is any indication, even pixelated rivalries may carry surprising weight.
