Robot Combat

About

Robot Combat is a competitive sport in which two or more robots equipped with weapons engage in a deathmatch, usually through remote-controlled communications with the human "roboteers." The sport initially became popular in the early 2000s with the success of the British TV robot competition series Robot Wars, which subsequently expanded to North America with the BattleBots series.

Battles

Various weapons commonly used by the robots include flippers, hammers, axes, claws and spinning discs. A robot is victorious once its opponents are either immobilized or thrown out of the arena. If time runs out and there isn't a decisive winner, the judges declare a winner based on the criteria of style, control, damage and aggression. Fans in attendance (safely behind the bulletproof arena walls) and watching on TV desired and were drawn to robots being destroyed in spectacular fashion.

History

Robot Wars

Robot Wars was the first live television series to feature traditional robotic combat. Originally the idea of Marc Thorpe, a designer at LucasArts, he started the first robotic combat competition in San Francisco 1994. Eventually, he struck a deal to have the competition televised, and Robot Wars debuted in 1998 on the UK-based BBC Two network as a rousing success. It was also later broadcast in the US on networks such as TechTV. The main Robot Wars tournament each season was considered the UK Championship of robotic combat, but Robot Wars also hosted many international competitions as well.

The first series of Robot Wars was won in an unusual fashion by a robot named Roadblock. Although it was armed with a spinning circular saw, it won many of its battles by its opponents driving over its wedge shape and being immobilized because they could not drive upside down. Due to this, many robots started to be designed using flippers as their weapons, and many robots would add SRIMECHs (self-righting mechanism) to counter the flippers and prevent from being immobilized by them. The second war was won by Panic Attack, whose forklift wedge was combined with excellent driving to defeat opponents by either flipping them or by putting them in the Pit of Oblivion. The Pit is one of the many hazards in the Robot Wars arena (along with a floor flipper, grinding saws, and the House Robots) and being dumped in the pit is considered an instant elimination.

The third and fourth wars were won by a powerful flipper robot named Chaos 2, the only robot to win the UK Championship twice under the Robot Wars banner. Chaos 2's most notable and historic victory was in the grand final episode of series 3, when it defeated Firestorm by flipping it completely out of the arena. This historic flip (pictured above) was the first such victory in Robot Wars history, but it would be far from the last, as many more flipper robots (including Chaos 2 itself) would repeat the feat many more times in later seasons.

The fifth war was the first to be won by a robot whose primary objective was to immobilize and destroy opponents with damage. Razer, a robot utilizing a powerful crushing claw, decimated all of its competition on the way to the UK Championship as well as the first ever Robot Wars World Championship. Razer's success continued into the sixth war, but it was defeated in the grand final by Tornado in very controversial fashion.

Tornado modified their robot and added a cage (pictured above) to keep Razer's claw out of reach, but critics said that the cage made Tornado too large to fit into the Pit and was an unfair advantage. The fight eventually went to the judges, who declared Tornado the winner and champion of the sixth war. Razer would rebound from the loss and achieve continued success, winning the World Championship for a second time.

The seventh war, the final series before Robot Wars would be taken off television, was won by a full-body spinning robot named Typhoon 2. Another controversial judge's decision in its grand final against Storm 2 (pictured below) led to accusations of collusion and executive meddling, as Storm 2 was considered a "boring" robot because it would always win by quickly pushing opponents in the pit with no effort or flash. Many thought the executives wanted the more exciting and destructive robot to win, and after some damage to Typhoon 2 was allegedly left off the judges scorecard, Typhoon 2 was declared the winner and champion. Like Razer before it, Storm 2 would also bounce back from its second-place finish in the UK competition and go on to win the third World Championship.

Robot Wars would be cancelled and not return for an eighth season, but robot combat competitions would continue in live events across Europe as part of the Fighting Robot Association.

BattleBots

BattleBots was the second major television series to feature robotic combat. When Robot Wars relocated from San Francisco to the United Kingdom, the roboteers left behind would go on to create BattleBots. Eventually they too earned a TV deal, and BattleBots debuted on Comedy Central in 2000. The first season was not a tournament format and only featured exhibition battles, but a new format would be added in the second season. To separate itself from its competition in Robot Wars, BattleBots held tournaments for multiple weight classes and spotlighted many different robots, but the heavyweights were still the most popular by far.

A flipper robot named Biohazard (pictured below) dominated the heavyweight division, winning three of the four tournaments during the show's run on Comedy Central and losing in the finals of the other to Son of Whyachi. Biohazard's lone loss was seen by many as a shocking and controversial one, and Son Of Whyachi would later be forced to move to the super-heavyweight division due to a controversy with their drive system and the allowed weight bonus for "walking" robots.

A smaller robot named Hazard (no relation to the aforementioned Biohazard) would win two of the four middleweight tournaments, while Ziggo (a full-body spinning robot) and Dr. Inferno Jr. (who used spinning saws) split the four lightweight tournaments. Other notable robots from the early days of BattleBots include T-Minus, Nightmare, Complete Control and Warhead.

In the earliest days, competitors from Robot Wars would sometimes come from overseas to compete in BattleBots, including a pair of UK champions in Razer and Panic Attack. Later on, an issue with exclusivity rights on the likenesses of the robots meant that teams wishing to compete on both shows would need to make a separate robot. Teams that chose to do so include Team Razer (who competed in Robot Wars with Razer, then later created Warhead to compete in BattleBots), Team Hurtz (who competed in Robot Wars with Killerhurtz and Terrorhurtz, then later created Beta to compete in BattleBots), and Team Carbide (who created Carbide for Robot Wars and Cobalt for BattleBots).

After five seasons, BattleBots would meet the same fate as Robot Wars and be cancelled after Viacom purchased Comedy Central and decided to take the network in a different direction. But also like Robot Wars, the roboteers would continue their robot competitions in untelevised live events. For over a decade the battles would continue unseen by the masses, until a new spark would bring robot combat back into the spotlight…

The Bots Are Back

In 2015, it was announced that BattleBots would return to television on ABC for a six-episode competition. For this revival, they did away with weight classes and only held a single heavyweight competition. A few BattleBots veterans returned after a long absence, but this competition spotlighted many promising newcomers and innovative designs.

The devastating spinning blade of Tombstone proved to be the deadliest weapon in the tournament and took it all the way to the finals, but it was the armored and versatile Bite Force that ended up hoisting the Giant Nut trophy as champions. After the season ended, ABC announced that it would bring BattleBots back for another season in 2016 and expand the tournament field to a total of 48 bots.

Veterans from the previous season, including the defending champion Bite Force, as well as more legends from the original BattleBots, competed for the championship. After placing second in the last year's tournament, Tombstone returned with a vengeance and claimed the Giant Nut trophy with many dominating victories. Other notable showings include the surprising run of Bombshell, who entered as a wild card but made it to the tournament finals before being demolished by Tombstone, as well as powerful spinners such as Minotaur, Nightmare and Warhead.

In addition to the success of the revived BattleBots, it was announced that Robot Wars would also be returning to its former home on BBC Two. The series premiered on July 24, 2016, and featured 40 competitors. The field would include returning veterans from the original series such as Razer, along with a brand new generation of robots.

Similar to Tombstone's first run in BattleBots, a powerful spinner named Carbide carved a path of destruction through Robot Wars until the tournament final, but it was the immense flipper of Apollo that upended them to claim the UK championship. Other robots that had notable showings include original series veterans such as Behemoth, Dantomkia and Storm 2, as well as former FRA UK champions Terrorhurtz, Eruption, Big Nipper and TR2.

In July 2016, just a few days before Robot Wars made its return, it was announced that Viacom networks Spike and Channel 5 won the bidding for the rights to broadcast BattleBots in the UK as direct competition to Robot Wars. Both series did well in the ratings in 2016, and on October 10 it was announced that Robot Wars would be renewed for a second season, which began airing in March 2017.^[11] Mirroring the rampage that Tombstone went on in the US, Carbide also avenged their second place finish the previous season on the way to defeating Eruption in the grand final to claim the UK Championship.

The third season of the revived Robot Wars aired in late 2017. Thanks to a new and more exciting format, many unexpected upsets, and even an insane 10 robot rumble, this season quickly became one of the fans' favorite seasons ever. The grand final came down to a rematch between Carbide and Eruption, but this time it was the powerful flipper that dethroned the defending champion.

In February 2018, a third season of BattleBots was announced, with the show moving from ABC to the Discovery Channel and premiering on May 11, 2018.^[12] This greatly expanded season featured 20 episodes and an all new format featuring a regular season and postseason tournament, similar to major sports like the NBA and NFL. The defending champion Tombstone was upset in round 1, and Bite Force went on to claim its second Giant Nut in three seasons. BattleBots was later renewed for a fourth season on Discovery channel, to premiere June 7, 2019.^[14]

Unfortunately, as fans of robot combat celebrated BattleBots' return to form, they were disappointed to learn that Robot Wars was not renewed by the BBC.^[13] A return to TV on another network, similar to what BattleBots did, is still possible in the future.

Famous Robots

The House Robots

Pictured below from left to right: Matilda, Dead Metal, Growler, Refbot, Mr. Psycho, Shunt, Sir Killalot, Sgt. Bash

The House Robots are robots that patrol the Robot Wars arena during battles. If a robot is knocked into the Corner Patrol Zone (CPZ) where a house robot is waiting, the house robot can attack them. Also, after a robot has been immobilized and counted out by Refbot (in seasons where Refbot is present) or the human referees outside the arena, sometimes the house robots will come out to cause extra damage and excite the crowd. Dead Metal, Matilda, Sgt. Bash and Shunt were the original four, with Sir Killalot added in series 2. Mr. Psycho and Growler were added in series 6, and Cassius Chrome (not pictured) was added in series 7.

Dead Metal, Matilda, Shunt and Sir Killalot (pictured above) returned for the 2016 revival of Robot Wars and have been substantially upgraded. They weigh more and possess much more powerful weapons than in the past. The producers of Robot Wars have not ruled out the possibility of bringing more of the former house robots out of retirement for a later season.

Notable Competitors

Roadblock (1st row, Left): Champion of Robot Wars Series 1. Roadblock's primary weapon is a spinning blade, but it was the robot's wedge shape that overturned the competition and led it to the championship.

Hypnodisc (1st row, Center): With a powerful spinning disc, Hypnodisc was one of the most incredible and destructive robots in robot combat history. Sadly, reliability issues prevented it from ever winning a championship, but it's one of only two robots to make three consecutive grand finals.

Chaos 2 (1st row, Right): Champion of Robot Wars Series 3 and 4, the first and only robot to win two Robot Wars UK championships. Chaos 2 revolutionized the warzone with its immense CO2-powered flipper. Because of flippers, going out to the arena without a SRIMECH to self-right became suicidal… but Chaos 2 even found a way around that by flipping robots completely out of the arena!

Razer (2nd row, Left): Champion of Robot Wars Series 5 and two-time World Champion, Razer's giant pneumatic claw shredded and cut through opponents like tissue paper. Razer was one of the veterans to return for the revived Robot Wars.

Storm 2 (2nd row, Center): Runner-up of Robot Wars Series 7 and the third World Champion. A simple, effective, but very controversial robot, said to be the victim of executive meddling because it wasn't "exciting" enough to be a champion. Another veteran who returned for the revived Robot Wars, they successfully advanced to the Heat Final before being flipped out of the arena by Apollo.

Carbide (2nd row, Right): The champion of the second season of the revived Robot Wars and runner-up in the first and third seasons, Carbide's incredible spinning blade decimated many victims, and not even the arena itself could contain its immense power. Team Carbide also entered a similar bot named Cobalt into BattleBots as well, but it did not have as much success.

Apollo (3rd row, Left): Champion of the first season of the revived Robot Wars series, Apollo's flipper launched and toppled dangerous foes on its way to the championship. Not even the House Robots were safe! The robot that served as its predecessor and inspiration, Kronic The Wedgehog, also won the FRA UK Championship in the time while Robot Wars was off television.

Nuts 2 (3rd row, Center): A unique 'thwackbot' with two helpful mini-bots and an unorthodox weapon, Nuts was considered a joke entry in the first two seasons of the revived Robot Wars. However, the drastically improved Nuts 2 shocked the world by dominating its heat en route to the grand final… where it even managed to score a shocking victory over the mighty Carbide!

Eruption (3rd row, Right): Champion of the third season of the revived Robot Wars and also a two-time FRA UK Champion, Eruption's powerful flipper has helped it become one of the most decorated and dominant champions in robotic combat history. It also holds the distinction of winning the largest free-for-all battle in Robot Wars history, the 10 robot rumble, as a part of series 10.

Biohazard (4th row, Left): Three-time BattleBots heavyweight champion, relying on a powerful flipper, tough armor, and excellent driving to defeat opponents. One of the most dominant competitors in robot combat history.

Son of Whyachi (4th row, Center): One-time BattleBots heavyweight champion, its spinning blade tore through much of the competition. It was later moved to the super-heavyweight division due to a controversy involving its drive system and the allowed weight bonus for walker robots. It came back to compete in season 2 of the revived BattleBots.

Complete Control (4th row, Right): A prominent middleweight competitor in the original BattleBots, it also returned as a heavyweight for the revived BattleBots. Complete Control's team enjoys joking and showmanship, sometimes taking it to levels that may even be considered trolling.

Bite Force (5th row, Left): The champion of the first and third seasons of the revived BattleBots, a sturdy and versatile competitor with multiple weapon options. They became the first robot of the modern era to win multiple championships across the two major robot combat programs.

Minotaur (5th row, Center): A prominent competitor in the second and third seasons of the revived BattleBots, Minotaur's spinning drum proved to be a spectacular and deadly weapon. Its battle with Blacksmith in season 2 amassed over 10 million views on ABC's official Youtube channel (as of May 2019) making it the fourth-most watched video on the channel and the second-most watched robot combat battle in the history of the sport, being surpassed by Beta vs. Lucky from the same season.^[10]

Tombstone (5th row, Right): The champion of the second season of the revived BattleBots and runner-up in the first season, Tombstone's blade has left countless opponents to rest in pieces. The parallels between the championship runs of Tombstone and Carbide have led to them being a popular fantasy match-up for hopeful fans everywhere.

Cultural Impact and Fandom

Both Robot Wars and BattleBots were wildly popular in their primes, with BattleBots at times even surpassing Comedy Central's crown jewel South Park in television ratings. Both series would also spawn merchandise such as smaller models of the robots (pullback toys and driveable RC versions) as well as officially licensed video games. Robot Arena 2, an unlicensed PC game based on robot building and combat, has featured robots from both shows thanks to numerous fan-made mods.

The continued live events (post-cancellation but pre-revival) still had high attendance and popularity, and even inspired a new generation of roboteers to build their own robots to battle with. Even after the TV returns of BattleBots and Robot Wars, live events still continue to this day. The biggest such events, the RoboGames competition in the US and the King of Bots tournament held in China, are livestreamed on Twitch as well.

After its revival, BattleBots has become one of the most popular shows on ABC in terms of its social media impact. The video of the battle between Blacksmith and Minotaur from the second season quickly made waves on social media and become one of the most watched videos on the ABC Youtube channel.^[10] Robot Wars also quickly gained popularity upon its return, and (in conjunction with the decline of Top Gear) became a very popular show on BBC.

Search Interest

Note that Google Trends only goes as far back as 2004, which is after both series were originally cancelled. Also note that results and numbers for "Robot Wars" searches may be skewed because the series has a similar name to the "Super Robot Wars" video game series made by Bandai Namco.

External References