BattleBots
Televised heavyweight robot combat from Las Vegas since 1999. Where to watch BattleBots (MAX in the US, free Pro League on YouTube), how to apply, and past champions.
BattleBots is the best-known robot combat league: remote-controlled robots of up to 250 lb fighting in a steel arena with hazards, filmed in Las Vegas for television. In the US it is on MAX; the 2026 Pro League and FaceOffs are free on the BattleBots YouTube channel.
At a glance
| Since | August 1999, Long Beach (first official event) |
| Organiser | BattleBots, Inc. |
| Weight | One class since season 6: heavyweight, up to 250 lb |
| Arena | BattleBots Arena, Las Vegas |
| Latest champion we can source | SawBlaze, World Championship VII (2023) |
| Official site | battlebots.com |
Where to watch BattleBots
- United States: MAX.
- Other countries: local broadcasters in more than 150 countries, listed at battlebots.com/local. Examples there include ITV4, Channel 5 and Netflix in the UK, Z and Discovery in Canada, DMAX and Netflix in Germany, 9Go and Netflix in Australia, and Netflix in Japan. BattleBots does not say which season each one carries, so check your local listing.
- Free: the 2026 Pro League (20 parts, 24 robots, weekly on Thursdays from 2 July) and the FaceOffs are on the BattleBots YouTube channel.
- In person: live Destruct-A-Thon shows in Las Vegas, with tickets from $45 plus fees.
How to enter BattleBots
Anyone may apply, through the application portal at book.battlebots.com linked from battlebots.com/build. A selection committee picks the robots and can turn any application down. BattleBots lists no application fee, but teams pay to build their own robot, and the league asks teams not to build before they are accepted. The build page still quotes 2023 deadlines, so the current season’s dates are not published there.
How it started
The first official BattleBots event was held in August 1999 at the Long Beach Pyramid in California. Wikipedia credits Greg Munson and Trey Roski with creating it; the league’s own site names Edward Roski as founder and CEO. It is run by BattleBots, Inc.
How it runs
For its first five seasons BattleBots had four weight classes, from 60 lb to 340 lb. Since season six there has been one class, heavyweight, with a 250 lb limit. Fights are filmed in the BattleBots Arena in Las Vegas and broadcast as the World Championship, with live Destruct-A-Thon shows for audiences in between.
In 2026 the league added BattleBots: Pro League, streamed on YouTube with Bright Data as partner.
Where it stands now
Pre-qualifying for World Championship VIII has been reported from September to December 2026. Air dates have not been announced. The most recent champion we can source is SawBlaze, winner of World Championship VII in 2023, and there may be a later one we have not confirmed yet.