The eighth season of the American competitive television series BattleBots premiered on Discovery on May 11, 2018. This is the first season of Battlebots to premiere on Discovery Channel and the third season since the show was rebooted in 2015. Encore episodes debuted on Science Channel on May 16, 2018.
In February 2018, Discovery Channel and Science Channel announced that it had picked up BattleBots after it was unofficially cancelled at ABC, marking the second time in the series' history that new episodes premiered on a new network. It features the "biggest, baddest, strongest and fastest next-generation robots from all over the world" as they battle it out in the battle arena for a chance to win the Robot Combat Sports championship.
Former UFC fighter Kenny Florian and MLB/NFL Sportscaster Chris Rose returned from the last two seasons to host this eighth season of BattleBots on Discovery. Also returning is Faruq Tauheed as the arena announcer. Former Battlebots judge Jessica Chobot replaced Alison Haislip as the sideline and behind the scenes reporter.
Judges
The current judges are the former Battlebots "bad boy" Derek Young, esports "maven" Naomi Kyle, and legendary roboticist Mark Setrakian. The guest judge (episode 3) was special effects "guru" Frank Ippolito. For episode 7, Grant Imahara from MythBusters and NASA systems engineer Bobak Ferdowsi, who worked on the Mars Landing, were guest judges. Episode 9 featured former BattleBots sideline correspondent Alison Haislip as a guest judge. Lisa Winter 2015 captain of team Plan X and 2016 captain of team Mega Tento is a guest judge as well. Episode 15 featured YouTube star Simone Giertz as a guest judge.
Contestants
This season, 55 robots weighing a maximum of 250 pounds have the chance to fight up to four times each. Their goal is to earn a top 16 ranking and qualify for the post-season where there will be knockout rounds until a winner-take-all fight to crown the 2018 BattleBots World Champion. The contestants hailed from all over the world including: Brazil, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States.
A 56th robot, Raven, was supposed to compete in BattleBots, but due to its unfinished state and time constraints, it never made it into the competition.
Contestants Robot Builder(s) Hometown Fight Record Returned for Season 9 Axe BackwardsKurt DurjanPalm City, FL 1–3 Yes Bale Spear*Earl Pancoast IIISalem, NJ 0–3 No Basilisk*Lucas SloanEdmonton, AB, Canada 2-2 No Battle Royale With CheeseMiles PekalaOakland, CA 0–2 No Bite ForcePaul VentimigliaMountain View, CA 8–0 Yes BlacksmithAl KindleEdison, NJ 1–4 Yes BombshellMichael JeffriesAtlanta, GA 1–5 Yes BroncoReason Bradley &Alexander RoseSausalito, CA 5–1 Yes BrutusAdam BercuSomerville, MA 2–3 No Captain ShrederatorBrian NaveOrmond Beach, FL 1–3 Yes ChompZoe StephensonSeattle, WA 1–5 No Deviled EggZak HassaneinVallejo, CA 1-1 No Double Dutch* Kevin Lung Wadsworth, IL 2-2 No Double JeopardyEvan WoolleyIrvine, CA 0–2 Yes DUCK!Hal RuckerHillsborough, CA 3–2 Yes End GameJack BarkerAuckland, New Zealand 2–4 Yes Free ShippingGary GinOakland, CA 1–3 Yes Gamma 9*Curtis NemethWestminster, CA 0–2 No GeminiAce ShelanderSanta Monica, CA 2–3 Yes GigabyteBrent RiekerEscondido, CA 2–3 Yes HUGEJonathan SchultzSouth Windsor, CT 3–2 Yes HyperShockWill BalesMiami, FL 1–4 Yes HypothermiaMichael "Fuzzy" MauldinLiberty Hill, TX 1–3 No IcewaveMarc DeVidtsBurlingame, CA 3–2 No KrakenMatt SpurkTitusville, FL 1–4 Yes Lock-JawDonald HudsonSan Diego, CA 6–3 Yes LuckyMark DemersOttawa, ON, Canada 2–4 Yes Mecha RampageChristian CarlbergSan Luis Obispo, CA 2-2 No
Robot Builder(s) Hometown Fight Record Returned for Season 9 MinotaurMarco Antonio MeggiolaroRio de Janeiro, Brazil 6–2 Yes MohawkMaxwell BalesMiami, FL 0–3 No MonsoonTom BrewsterTurvey, United Kingdom 4–2 Yes OverhaulCharles GuanCambridge, MA 1–4 No Parallax*Luke BittenbinderNorthampton, United Kingdom 0–2 No PetuniaMischa de GraafAnna Paulowna, The Netherlands 3–2 Yes Predator*Craig DanbyKnightdale, NC 1–2 No RealityTim BouwensTilburg, The Netherlands 3–2 No Red DevilRavi BaboolalSpanish Fork, UT 2–3 No ROTATORVictor SotoDoral, FL 4–2 Yes SawBlazeJamison GoCambridge, MA 4–2 Yes SharkoprionEdward D. RobinsonPoway, CA 2–1 Yes SkorpiosOrion BeachSanta Rosa, CA 3–1 Yes Son of WhyachiLuke EwertDorchester, WI 3–2 Yes SubZeroJerry ClarkinMalvern, PA 1–3 Yes TantrumAren HillMountain View, CA 1–2 Yes The Four HorsemenIan WattsLewes, United Kingdom 1–3 Yes TombstoneRay BillingsPlacerville, CA 5–1 Yes Ultimo Destructo*Sean IrvinValkaria, FL 2-2 No Valkyrie*Leanne CushingCambridge, MA 4–2 Yes VanquishJack TweedyKent, United Kingdom 0–2 No WAR HawkRob FarrowSeattle, WA 4–2 Yes WarheadSimon ScottPoole, United Kingdom 4–1 No Warrior DragonClint EwertDorchester, WI 1–2 No WhiplashJeff VasquezNewbury Park, CA 5–2 Yes Witch DoctorAndrea SuarezMiami Springs, FL 3–2 Yes YetiGreg GibsonWasilla, AK 3–2 Yes
* - These bots fought unaired fights.
Rank Bots Fight Record1Lock Jaw4-22Bite Force, Bronco, HUGE, SawBlaze3-03Skorpios, Tombstone, Whiplash2-04Brutus, Double Dutch, DUCK!, End Game, Icewave, Monsoon, Petunia, Red Devil, ROTATOR, Son of Whyachi, Ultimo Destructo, Yeti2-15Valkyrie2-26Lucky2-37Tantrum, Warhead1-08Basilisk, Deviled Egg, Gemini, Minotaur, Overhaul, Sharkoprion, The Four Horsemen, WAR Hawk, Warrior Dragon, Witch Doctor1-19Axe Backwards, Blacksmith, Free Shipping, Gigabyte, HyperShock, Mecha Rampage, SubZero1-210Vanquish0-111Bale Spear, Battle Royale With Cheese, Double Jeopardy, Gamma 9, Mohawk, Parallax, Predator, Reality0-212Bombshell, Captain Shrederator, Chomp, Hypothermia, Kraken0-3
Tournament
This season featured a new fight format with the mid-season (episode 11) "Desperado Tournament" where eight bots whose season started poorly will have a one time opportunity to reverse their fortunes. Eight teams will get a second chance to battle it out tournament style in the battle box. The lone survivor who can win three fights in a row will earn an automatic spot into the Top 16 and will be the first entrance into the 2018 BattleBot Championship and also win the Desperado Tournament giant bolt trophy. Meanwhile, the losing bots will go back into the Battle Box to finish out the season.
Seeding Lock-Jaw (1–2) Gigabyte (0–1) Lucky (0–2) Valkyrie (1-1) Hypothermia (0–2) Gemini (1–0) Double Dutch (2–0) Kraken (0–2)
Desperado Tournament Bracket
KO: Knockout UD: Unanimous Decision
This season will have a 16 bot tournament to decide who will get the giant nut. The winner of the Desperado Tournament, Lock-Jaw, has already clinched a spot in the tournament. Then a committee will choose the other 15 bots.
Desperado Quarterfinals Episode Battle Winner Loser Method Time 11(August 3, 2018) 1 Lucky Gemini SD 3:00 2 Lock-Jaw Kraken KO 2:25 3 Gigabyte Double Dutch KO 1:29 4 Valkyrie Hypothermia UD 3:00
The robot was the winner of the battle and moved on to the Semifinals. The robot was the loser of the battle and was eliminated. Only highlights from the battle(s) were shown. KO: Knockout SD: Split Decision
Desperado Semifinals Episode Battle Winner Loser Method Time 11(August 3, 2018) 1 Lock-Jaw Valkyrie KO 1:32 2 Lucky Gigabyte KO 1:07
The robot was the winner of the battle and moved on to the Final. The robot was the loser of the battle and was eliminated. KO: Knockout
Desperado Final Episode Battle Winner Loser Method Time 11(August 3, 2018) 1 Lock-Jaw Lucky KO 2:46
The robot was the winner of the battle and moved on to the Top 16 Tournament Bracket. The robot was the loser of the battle and was eliminated. KO: Knockout
Seeding Tombstone (4–0) Bronco (4–0) Bite Force (4–0) Minotaur (3–1) SawBlaze (3–1) Icewave (3–1) Yeti (3–1) Son of Whyachi (3–1) Lock Jaw (4–2) Whiplash (3–1) ROTATOR (3–1) Monsoon (3–1) Witch Doctor (3–1) HUGE (3–1) WAR Hawk (4–1) Bombshell (0–4)
Top 16 Bracket
KO: Knockout UD: Unanimous Decision SD: Split Decision
Round of 16 Episode Battle Winner Loser Method Time 18(September 21, 2018) 1 Monsoon SawBlaze UD 3:00 2 Bombshell Tombstone KO 1:57 3 Minotaur Witch Doctor KO 1:39 4 Lock-Jaw Son of Whyachi UD 3:0019(September 28, 2018) 1 Bite Force HUGE KO 1:37 2 ROTATOR Icewave UD 3:00 3 Bronco WAR Hawk KO 1:40 4 Whiplash Yeti UD 3:00
The robot was the winner of the battle and moved on to the Quarterfinals. The robot was the loser of the battle and was eliminated. Only highlights from the battle(s) were shown. KO: Knockout UD: Unanimous Decision
Quarterfinals Episode Battle Winner Loser Method Time 18(September 21, 2018) 1 Lock-Jaw Bombshell KO 0:36 2 Minotaur Monsoon KO 1:0019(September 28, 2018) 1 Bite Force ROTATOR KO 1:20 2 Whiplash Bronco KO 2:57
The robot was the winner of the battle and moved on to the Semifinals. The robot was the loser of the battle and was eliminated. KO: Knockout
Semifinals & Championship Episode Battle Winner Loser Method Time 20(October 5, 2018) Semifinals 1 Minotaur Lock-Jaw KO 1:43 2 Bite Force Whiplash KO 1:32 Exhibition 1 Tombstone Tantrum KO 1:19 Championship 1 Bite Force Minotaur KO 2:05
The robot was the winner of the battle. The robot was the loser of the battle. The robot was the winner of the battle and became the champion of BattleBots 2018. KO: Knockout
Episodes
Giant Bolt Awards Four giant bolt awards were made for the 2018 season. The winner of the Desperado Tournament (episode 11) received a bolt award. The other three "Best of Show" awards were presented in the Battlebox towards the end of filming and were announced by Battlebots on Facebook and Twitter on 16 October 2018. Award Awarded for Winner Desperado Winner of Desperado Tournament Lock-Jaw Founders' Award Team that embodies the spirit of BattleBots.Awarded by the BattleBots Founders, Trey Roski and Greg Munson. Monsoon Best Design Robot that best embodies the combination of top-notch engineering and outstanding designAwarded by the BattleBots builders. Huge Most Destructive Robot Robot that dished out the most gourmet damageAwarded by the BattleBots Judges. Rotator
References