National Havoc Robot League (NHRL)
Open robot combat league for 3, 12 and 30 lb robots in Norwalk, Connecticut. Where to watch NHRL, the 2026 schedule, how to enter ($75 refundable deposit) and champions.
NHRL is a robot combat league for builders: frequent events in the 3, 12 and 30 lb classes in Norwalk, Connecticut, open to anyone who registers, with every fight streamed. The next event is round 3 of the 2026 Pro Tour on 7 November, which the league says is free to watch on DAZN.
At a glance
| Since | 2018, founded by Austin McChord |
| Organiser | Havoc Robotics Inc., Norwalk, Connecticut |
| Classes | 3 lb beetleweight, 12 lb hobbyweight, 30 lb featherweight |
| 2025 champions | Pinevictus (3 lb), Pramheda (12 lb), KaZaA Lite (30 lb) |
| Next events | Pro Tour round 3, 7 November 2026; Pro world championship final, 5 December 2026 |
| Prize money | 2024 world championships: $8,000, $12,000 and $15,000 to the winners. 2026 Pro Tour: up to $30,000 per event |
| Official site | nhrl.io |
Where to watch NHRL
NHRL’s own pages disagree, and none of them is dated:
- The home page, which names the 7 November event and so looks the most current, says the Pro Tour is live and free on DAZN, live or on demand.
- “What’s new in 2026” lists TrillerTV, Facebook, Twitch and YouTube live, with replays on YouTube and Cheddar TV. It reads as written before the season.
- The watch page lists the NHRL YouTube channel (KO Show 2 pm ET, Prime Time 7 pm ET), a BrettZone stream on YouTube from about 9 am to 2 pm ET, and Cheddar. It names a March event as next, so it is out of date.
Our reading: DAZN for the Pro Tour, and YouTube for fights from the Opens. We will update this when NHRL confirms.
How to enter NHRL
- Register on the NHRL registration hub (yourself, then your robots, then an event). Places are drawn by lottery because of demand.
- Cost: a $75 deposit per robot, refunded when you check in or fight. Apart from the deposit there is no fee to compete. This is from the NHRL wiki as of September 2025; older pages say $25.
- Dates: the reservation window for an Open lasts a week, selections are made at least six weeks before the event, and sign-ups close two weeks before.
- Limits: usually 96 robots at 3 lb, 24 at 12 lb and 16 at 30 lb.
- Who: anyone, of any experience. There is no age limit, but under-18s need a responsible adult.
- Qualifying: in 2025 the top four in each class at the Opens qualified for the world championships. NHRL has not published how builders get into the 2026 Pro Tour.
How it started
Austin McChord founded the league in 2018 as the Norwalk Havoc Robot League. It is now the National Havoc Robot League, run by Havoc Robotics Inc. from Norwalk, Connecticut.
How it runs
Fights are one-on-one in enclosed arenas, in three weight classes:
| Class | Limit |
|---|---|
| Beetleweight | 3 lb |
| Hobbyweight | 12 lb |
| Featherweight | 30 lb |
Open qualifiers run most months. Each qualifier’s winners are invited to the world championships in December, and there are cash prizes. In 2026 a three-event Pro Tour runs alongside the opens, with its own world championship final.
Where it stands now
The 2025 world champions, crowned on 6 December 2025, were Pinevictus at 3 lb, Pramheda at 12 lb and KaZaA Lite at 30 lb. Pramheda also won the first 2025 qualifier at 12 lb. The 2026 Pro Tour’s third round is on 7 November, and the Pro world championship final is on 5 December.