BattleBots explained: the BattleBox, three-minute fights, judges' scoring and the 2026 Pro League

BattleBots is the American televised robot combat show behind the BattleBox arena. It was founded by Greg Munson and Trey Roski, and its first official event took place in August 1999 at the Long Beach Pyramid in California. The show aired on Comedy Central from 2000 to 2002, came back on ABC in 2015 and 2016, then ran on Discovery and Science from 2018 to 2023. Since 2022 it has had a permanent home in Las Vegas.

The robots and the BattleBox

BattleBots is a heavyweight competition. The 2018 design rules, the latest version we could open, set the limit at 250 pounds (about 113 kg) ready to fight, with no minimum. Some weapons are banned outright: glue, nets and other fouling devices, sprayed liquids, devices meant to jam an opponent's electronics, smoke, blinding lights or lasers, and projectiles driven by explosives. Flamethrowers are allowed with propane or butane and a flame of up to 4 feet, but they count as show, not as an active weapon. Fights take place in the BattleBox, a 48 by 48 foot (15 m) arena with a steel floor and a polycarbonate roof, fitted with hazards that reward drivers who push a rival into them.

How a fight is won

A fight lasts three minutes. A robot that cannot move for ten seconds is knocked out. If both are still running at the end, three judges decide, each with 11 points split between damage (5), aggression (3) and control (3), so 33 points in total. Teams have been able to appeal a decision since the 2016 season. In the classic tournament the champion lifts the Giant Nut; recent winners include End Game (2020-21), Tantrum (2022) and SawBlaze (2023).

The 2026 Pro League

On 26 February 2026 BattleBots announced a new format, the Pro League, sponsored by Bright Data. Twenty-four robots from the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom and India were filmed in Las Vegas from 18 April 2026. They first met in six groups, and each group winner went into a knockout round. The 20 episodes are released weekly and free on YouTube until November. The line-up includes former champion Tombstone, New Zealand's End Game, HyperShock and Orbitron, a Canadian robot BattleBots presents as the first AI-controlled robot. The 16th episode, built around the semi-finals, aired on 15 October 2026. The official page lists Minotaur against Witch Doctor and The Twins against Manta in the semi-finals, then Witch Doctor against The Twins for the title, which the page refers to as the Giant Wrench.

Live shows in Las Vegas

Alongside the TV series, BattleBots runs Destruct-A-Thon, a live residency at its Las Vegas arena launched in February 2023. At launch each show had six one-on-one fights; it now runs up to six shows a week, and the residency has been extended to the end of December 2028. Over Halloween weekend 2026 BattleBots holds a new Creature Combat contest for robots with limbs or animal features that follows a first trial in 2025. More on the league: BattleBots.