Official Bracket

Download the official PDF bracket here

List of bots

The bots below are listed in the same order that they appear on the official bracket, top to bottom starting on the left.

Minotaur [1]

Minotaur is the OG drum spinner. The Brazilians have been competing at every level for decades but have yet to win the world championship. Minotaur's incredible reliability gives ever-intense driver Daniel Freitas time to outmaneuver and pick apart their opponent. Minotaur can keep charging after taking hits that would have eliminated any other bot. They had a major victory this season against Witch Doctor [3] who had knocked them out of the running last season in a match so controversial that the rules had to be revised to ensure fights would only end if a bot is completely unable to move. They are sticking to their tried and true approach this season, hoping that keeping everything dialed in will be a winning formula. Their first ever #1 seed should give them an easier path to victory this season.

Fusion [32]

Fusion is known for one thing: meltdowns. Match after match ends the same way: with its batteries blazing like a bonfire. Fusion is conceived and controlled by the stoic yet hilarious Reese Ewert of the Ewert battlebots dynasty. His brother Jake designed and pilots the thus far more successful Hydra [4]. The idea behind Fusion is an interesting one. Rather than choosing either a vertical or a horizontal spinning weapon, Reese said, "why not both?" Fusion went 1-3 in the qualifiers against a tough schedule that included highly seeded HUGE [6] and Witch Doctor [3]. The selection committee might have wanted to give him a break by letting him take the lowest seed, or maybe they are just looking for an audience-pleasing fireworks display. That all depends whether after three seasons Reese has finally got his overheating issues under control.

P.S. This has no bearing on the competition, but is just too fun not to share. A little promo for Fusion merchandise.

Switchback [16]

Switchback is a vertical drum spinner mounted on an articulating arm. The arm allows the bot to withdraw its weapon after pinning an opponent, allowing it to get up to speed before striking from above. They went 3-1 in the qualifying rounds, though all of their victories were against bots that did not make it to the championship. This is their second year competing and have shown great improvement over their first season. Now it is time to go toe-to-toe with some serious contenders.

Malice [17]

Malice is in a similar situation to Switchback, their first opponent in the championship. They are both newer teams who won three qualifying matches against bots that didn't make the top 32 and lost their only match against a championship contender. They'll need to prove that their horizontal drum spinner can stay twirling and dish out enough damage to take out more reliable robots.

SawBlaze [8]

SawBlaze scoops up opponents in its large forked front plow and then bashes them with an articulating vertical spinner, all while spitting green flames. They have been performing well five years running, consistently earning high seeding. They seem overdue for greater success but they'll have to overcome some devastatingly powerful vertical spinners. For this team it will be all about winning the ground game.

Blip [25]

Underneath Blip's adorable exterior is the most insane feat of engineering in the competition. This bot's flipper mechanism was designed entirely from scratch to pack the biggest punch into the smallest package. The designer and team captain also just so happens to have designed last season's champion, Tantrum [26]. However despite last year's impressive freshman debut, Blip had a mixed record this season. They missed a chance to take down former champ End Game [7] and lost to meta-disrupting HUGE [6]. However Blip did prove itself to be the better sibling in a match against Tantrum. Their big challengs this season is that they have struggled to make good contact with their opponent when firing the flipper. Blip can't win if it can't flip.

Cobalt [9]

Cobalt is one of the most successful competitors back home in the UK show Robot Wars. Cobalt has been competing in Battlebots the last few years, steadily improving their reliability and weapon power to the point where they are consistently launching opponents into the ceiling with their vicious vertical disk spinner. This season Cobalt was purchased by the Gigabyte team as the original creators wanted to step back from the sport. It has turned out to be a good investment as Cobalt has outperformed Gigabyte, with Cobalt achieving a 3-1 qualifying record compared to Gigabyte's 1-3.

Monsoon [24]

It is the battle of the Brits! Though named after storms from the south pacific, this team "hails" from the UK. They've got a powerful vertical spinner but the bot has struggled with reliability and ground game. They went 2-2 in the qualifiers achieving two quick KO victories, one judge's decision loss, and one loss by knockout against Black Dragon [21].

Hydra [4]

Hydra is the brainchild of Jake Ewert of the Ewert family. His brother Reese runs Fusion [32]. Hydra is a powerful hydraulic flipper that can repeatedly hurl 250 lb opponents into the ceiling. Though initially cocky that his newest design would win him the Giant Nut, Hydra hasn't quite lived up to his lofty expectations. Despite consistent success Hydra has not made it past the top 8. Jake knows the game as well as anyone in battlebots. He drives carefully and wins the low ground. Yet Hydra still lost in a rematch against defending champion Tantrum [26]. This championship is another shot for Hydra to make its father proud.

DeathRoll [29]

This bot from the land down under had an impressive debut last year, making its way deep into the depths of the championship rounds with a powerful vertical disk spinner. This sophomore season has been a bit more hit-or-miss with a 2-2 qualifier record. They will have to get back to their high damage days if they want the giant nut.

Beta [13]

Beta is the inspiration for hammer bots everywhere, having competed in the original iteration of the show and in Robot Wars in their native England. They proved themselves the best hammer bot in a qualifying matchup against Shatter [31]. Though Beta can deliver a blow, their real strength is the skilled driving of builder John Reid combined with their seemingly impenetrable giant front plow. They have (controversially) won matches in the past without a single swing of their gigantic hammer. All they had to do was push their helpless opponent around the box like a bulldozer. It will be difficult for them to succeed in the championship as their weapon can't deliver the kind of decisive, high power kill shots that spinners can achieve.

Whiplash [20]

Whiplash brings a bit more finesse to Battebots. Instead of relying on huge hits, this family team employs the exceptional driving talents of Matt Vasquez. The bot's agile drive train and lifter arm is used to control the fight. They managed to place second in a past season but this season has been more of a mixed bag due to some build issues, with only 2-2 in the qualifiers winning against Monsoon [24] and Tantrum [26] and losing against Hypershock [18] and MaDCatTer [22]. Even so they should not be counted out as Matt has shown he can outmaneuver beefier opponents to pull off unexpected wins.

Quantum [5]

Quantum's sophomore year is off the an astounding start. They've gone 4-0 in the qualifiers with their unique design. Their strategy can be described as rush and crush. First they leap out of the starting square and chase down their opponent, starting the engagement before the opponent can get spinning weaponry up to speed. Then Quantum bites down with titanium teeth, piercing through the top of their opponent's armor hoping to get a taste of sweet battery acid. Their biggest weakness is getting their teeth knocked out when trying to munch on a weapon. Can they maintain their early season success against the top 32? Only one of their four opponents in the qualifiers made it to the championship. This is their chance to show the biting approach works against top tier bots.

Ribbot [28]

Ribbot is a modular bot that can use either a vertical or a horizontal spinner. These froggy fellows haven't been leaping for joy this season. They weren't sure they would make it into the top 32 given their 1-3 qualifier record. The selection committee may have taken their high strength of schedule into consideration along with their high levels of success in past seasons. Team Ribbot thinks they have sorted out some out their durability issues and are ready for the championship.

RIPperoni [12]

Undoubtedly this season's breakout star, RIPperoni served up a saucy upset against End Game [7] after the former champ got stuck in the killsaw slots. Their commitment to the bit also won over the crowd, handing out custom pizza boxes and putting on over-the-top accents in post-match interviews. Underneath the silliness team Omega is cooking up some interesting new tech. One major downside of vertical spinners is that the gyroscopic effect of their weapon prevents them from being able to turn quickly. RIPperoni is trying to mitigate the effect with an internal mass that spins in the opposite direction of their weapon, counteracting the gyroscopic effect. The championship is an opportunity to prove they have a recipe for success, not just beginner's luck.

Black Dragon [21]

This Brazilian bot's claim to fame was that it had never lost a fight due to knockout... until Riptide [2] in their final qualifying match of the season. Has the fortune of their "lucky ducky" mascot rubbed off or can it buoy them to victory in the tournament? The chunky bot is still incredibly durable and has a thick vertical spinner that can't be underestimated.

Riptide [2]

Riptide is undeniably the new heel of Battlebots, only they don't seem to be playing a character. They have stated, "our focus is to be a feared team" and had to be bleeped out in a post-match interview when team captain Ethan Kurtz screamed, "We're going to fucking kill 'em!" at the top of his lungs. They backed those words up in a fight against longtime veteran Captain Shredderator. After easily dispatching the Captain with their immense egg-beater spinner they continued hitting the disabled bot repeatedly, causing unnecessary damage to the point where it was no longer repairable. While not technically against the rules, this violates a major taboo in the sport. Though fans hope to see them humbled, they've proven they can take on the toughest bots by becoming the first opponent to ever KO Black Dragon [21]. With a 4-0 record in the qualifiers they seem poised for success in the championships.

Shatter [31]

Adam Wrigley was not expecting Shatter to make the top 32. The team had gone back to their hotel room to take a nap when the selection committee announced their decision, thinking there was no chance Shatter would be chosen. They went 1-3 in the qualifiers with a single unconvincing win. They haven't managed a KO in two years and are up against the most vicious bot in the competition. They'll have to try their best to go down swinging.

Lucky! [15]

This Canadian flipper bot has been competing for many years but has recently seen greater success after bringing RC car wiz Matt Olson on board. His skills on the controller have helped them line up the lifts they need to get opponents airborne. However they still come up short in comparison to the ground game and flipping power of Hydra [4]. They will need a lot of luck if they hope to succeed against the high energy vertical spinners.

HyperShock [18]

Charismatic builder Will Bales runs the perennial fan favorite HyperShock. Known for it's speedy and chaotic driving, HyperShock seeks to get around the sides of rival bots to deliver hits from unexpected angles. The bot has been competing since 2015 and consistently performs well, just not well enough to reach the final championship rounds. The qualifying matchups have been rough for HyperShock this season, split evenly with 2-2. However they faced one of the strongest qualifying schedules including Claw Viper [11], SawBlaze [8], End Game [7], and Whiplash [20].

End Game [7]

These New Zealanders have one of the hardest hitting bots in the sport. In 2020 their deadly vertical spinner, remarkable durability, precise driving, and large front plow made them the first world champions from outside the United States. They have pushed the strategy of long front "forks" to the extreme, sporting metal fingers longer than the bot itself. This backfired in their match against rookie Ripperoni [12] when the forks got them stuck in the killsaw slots, giving Ripperoni a free hit. Though embarrassed by the opening match, they went on to handily win their next three qualifying fights.

Tantrum [26]

Tantrum is last year's champion, meaning the only two former giant nut winners in the bracket will be facing off in their very first match. This year has not started well for the defending champ. They lost to Minotaur [1], their brother bot Blip [25], and Whiplash [20]. In two losses they were unable to get back on their feet after being flipped on their heads due to failures in their self-righting mechanism. Can they iron out the kinks in their new chassis and return to past levels of success? Or will their fellow champion knock them out of the running?

Copperhead [10]

Copperhead is an ultra-dense classic drum spinner configuration that occasionally features a live snake as its mascot. Despite having all the right ingredients they have yet to make a major bracket run. Perhaps this season they can slither to the final rounds.

Rotator [23]

Symmetrical palindrome Rotator is a veteran horizontal spinner that often sport two blades, one on bottom cutting low and one on top cutting high. They are always reliable in the battlebox but have a fairly mixed record. Team captain Victor Soto is convinced his design can go all the way and is eager to prove it. All of Rotator's qualifying matches were against top 32 bots, with wins over Jackpot [30] and Fusion [32] and losses to Bloodsport [19] and Hydra [4].

Witch Doctor [3]

Witch Doctor is a long-running fan favorite. Lead by husband and wife Andrea and Mike Gellatly, they have come close to taking the giant nut in past seasons. They are always looking to learn from their mistakes and dial in their bot. Witch Doctor combines skillful driving with a powerful vertical spinner. This season they certainly have a shot at topping the bracket.

Jackpot [30]

Jackpot is the only bot who can claim to be the hometown hero. Hailing from Vegas where the championship is filmed, this scrappy team put together a tough, hard hitting bot on a budget. They are only 50/50 in the qualifiers, putting them in a tough starting seed for the championship rounds. They'll need to "hit" if they expect to get a winning hand the season.

Lock-Jaw [14]

Legendary builder and driver Donald Hutson has been competing in battlebots for 26 years. His past approach of skilled driving and controlled grappling hasn't worked out against modern high kinetic energy weaponry. He recently retrofitted his bot with a vertical spinner to remain competitive but had a difficult time getting it running reliably. This season it seems more dialed in, giving him two knockouts in the qualifiers. We'll find out if this old dog has finally learned some new tricks!

Bloodsport [19]

With Tombstone out of the picture, Bloodsport takes up the mantle of horizontal heavyweight. The concept may seem simple, run a large horizontal spinning bar on top of your bot and no matter how your opponent approaches they are going to get thwacked. However the execution is incredibly difficult. Heavy weapons take a long time to spin up to full speed, getting pushed into the walls is a death knell, self-righting mechanisms are a challenge, and even when you get a hit both bots will go flying. But if anyone can pull it off it is Bloodsport. They have proven they are able to dish out big hits and keep on spinning. Even if they remain reliable the question remains whether the approach is viable against the vertical spinner meta.

HUGE [6]

The beloved big boy of battlebots is having its best season yet, going 4-0 in the qualifiers. The... huge... design keeps the core of the bot up and away from their opponent's weaponry. This leaves them free to strike low-profile rivals with their recently upgraded vertical spinner. However their weak qualifying strength of schedule may be playing a major role in their success. We will have to see if their streak continues into the championship rounds.

Skorpios [27]

Skorpios is a bot with a big plow and an articulating arm with a vertical spinner. If that sounds familiar that's because the design is similar to SawBlaze [8] though Skorpios did it first. They lost the chance to prove themselves the better version when they were matched up against SawBlaze in a qualifying match. They also lost to Ribbot [28] but were victorious over Jackpot [30]. Zach Lytle is known for his chaotic and aggressive driving. He's certainly capable of some surprise upsets.

Claw Viper [11]

Claw Viper is doing something unusual. While control bot veterans like Lock-Jaw [14] are shoehorning spinning weapons into their designs, Claw Viper is keeping the faith. Every ounce of weight saved by forgoing kinetic energy weaponry is dumped into the drive train. This bot takes off like a rocket. Using powerful magnets to keep itself glued to the floor, it zooms into opponents like a homing missile, smothering spinners before they have time to get up to speed, grabbing them, and slamming them into the walls. This has been their best season so far. That said they still lost to fellow speedster HyperShock [18]. Perhaps they can prove you don't need a flashy spinner to achieve a deep bracket run.

MaDCatTer [22]

Engineering professor and Hulk Hogan impersonator Mark Mason always puts on a show. The bot's purpose is giving his students hands-on experience in their field. The cat remains a fan favorite thanks to Mark's wholesome and silly persona. It can deliver some big hits when everything is working but has had difficulty consistently winning the ground game.