gen:LOCK is one of Rooster Teeth's biggest new series, and a marked departure from the company's breakout hit, RWBY. Set in a futuristic world full of political strife and advanced technology, the series brought out the humanity involved in giant robot fights.
The show premiered with an eight-episode first season in 2019, with a second season confirmed soon afterward. gen:LOCK features a star-studded celebrity voice cast, with the likes of Michael B. Jordan (who is also an executive producer) and has premiered on more mainstream networks like Toonami. With the second season just over the horizon, here's what fans should know about the Rooster Teeth mecha series.
Plot
Set about 50 years into the future, gen:LOCK stars an international group of young adults who become part of the experimental gen:LOCK program. This allows them to interface with militarized mechs and technology called Holons, which they use to fight off the oppressive, totalitarian forces of the Polity. This privilege to fight for humanity's future comes at a high cost, however, making the battle for the team a personal one as well.
Season 2 will pick up where the first left off, with many of the original cast returning. As the official synopsis explains, the Polity will continue to gain ground despite the gen:LOCK team's best efforts. In the advent of societal destruction, two factions now war for the soul of humanity, with either digitization or mechanization being the inevitable result. As the truth behind both sides of the debate is revealed, protagonist Chase questions his previous loyalties to determine his own fate and that of the world at large.
Characters
The gen:LOCK team consists of protagonist Julian Chase, Cameron MacCloud, Kazu Lida, Yasamin Madrany and Val Romanyszyn. Their voices are provided by celebrity talent like the show's executive producer Michael B. Jordan and Maisie Williams, while David Tennant voices Rufus Weller, creator of the gen:LOCK program. The main characters are all from different cultures and nationalities, reflecting the diversity that Jordan and company wished to highlight in the series. Each member of the team has a signature mech with unique features reflective of its pilot, an extension of how the gen:LOCK process connects the person best suited to it. However, Holons work best with teenagers, explaining the team's youth.
The show's success saw it receive a comic book miniseries from DC. This digital-first series bridged the gap between the show's first season and its upcoming second season, featuring the team taking down a Union blockade in Japan. With the comic book being published through a subsidiary of Warner Bros., it makes sense that gen:LOCK's first season recently made the jump to HBO Max.
Release Date
The show's second season was announced in 2019, though there hasn't been much news since then. When the season was first announced, it was also revealed that it, like the first season, would be available on HBO Max. After 90 days, it will then be made available through Rooster Teeth FIRST. Unfortunately for eager fans, however, the release date for this second season has yet to be officially announced, though it will tentatively be released late in 2021.
Rooster Teeth's gen:LOCK stars Michael B. Jordan, Dakota Fanning, Maisie Williams, Kōichi Yamadera, Golshifteh Farahani, Asia Kate Dillon, David Tennant, Monica Rial, Blaine Gibson, Gray Haddock, Miles Luna and Chad James. Season 1 is streaming now on Rooster Teeth FIRST and arrives on HBO Max Feb. 9. Season 2 will premiere on HBO Max, though does not currently have a release date.
