Aptyx Designs, originally known as Team Demolition, are a team who competed in the first four BattleBots World Championships. The team also entered Seasons 3.0 and 5.0 of Comedy Central BattleBots as well as multiple untelevised events.
The team are best known for their incredibly successful heavyweight Bite Force, which has won three Giant Nuts in 2015, 2018 and 2019, and boasts an overall 26-1 record. However, the team have been on hiatus since the 2019 re:MARS all:STARS event.
Team captain Paul Ventimiglia stated in an interview that he would like to enter the modern era of BattleBots with more than only Bite Force, although work on a possible successor is as yet unknown.[1] Brutality was sold in 2019 to Team Doom and refurbished by Ray Billings to enter future seasons of BattleBots under the name Perfect Phoenix.
Their omission from World Championship V after Bite Force won its third Giant Nut in 2019 led to much surprise among fans, but guaranteed a brand new champion in 2020. End Game would ultimately dethrone Bite Force, and match Aptyx Designs' record of championship silverware after following their Giant Nut win with Golden Bolt wins in the two subsequent seasons.
- "Bite Force will probably be back, but I don't know if it's going to be this exact version or a new version of Bite Force."
- — Paul Ventimiglia during Episode 9 of the Skorpios Builder Blog
Paul Ventimiglia addressed speculation in a video made by the Skorpios team.[2] On August 19, 2021, however, Paul confirmed on the team's Facebook page that Bite Force would also not be competing in World Championship VI due to BattleBots not addressing contract agreement improvements regarding team sustainability, with emphasis regarding giving builders shared rights and ownership of their bots.[3][4]
Their absence was notably felt during both seasons of BattleBots: Champions, as Bite Force was the only Giant Nut winner since 2015 not to feature in the summer series.
Although the desire to distribute money and resources has been shared by BattleBots co-founder Greg Munson, who also confirmed improved builder stipends ahead of World Championship VII, neither Aptyx Designs nor Bite Force returned to compete for a fourth Giant Nut.
- "Waiting... waiting for shared image rights at least, or any way for teams to have any type of equity or upside, or any sort of payment for their work, or easing our restrictions on approaching sponsors, all while the show keeps selling and being a success."
- — Aptyx Designs address their hiatus in February 2022
.png "Paul Ventimiglia with Trey Roski and Greg Munson (Battlebots IQ 2002).png (5.66 MB)")
Outside BattleBots[]
Away from BattleBots, the team competed at RoboGames 2017 with their middleweight wedgebot, NIGHTHAWK.
Though it was designed and built in only three weeks, it proceeded to win the silver medal in its division.[5]
Team Members[]
Paul Ventimiglia[]
Outside of the show, Paul Ventimiglia designed and built the heavyweight overhead spinner Brutality, which fought in the 2009 BattleBots events and was largely responsible for the retirement of iconic heavyweight BioHazard after the show's cancellation. It was an upscaled version of middleweight Green Wave, which fought in Season 5.0 of Comedy Central BattleBots and the 2002 BattleBots IQ event.
Apytx Designs also entered lightweight Tantrum into Season 3.0 of the classic era, not to be confused with the modern day heavyweight of the same name. Brutality was sold to Team Doom in 2019, refurbished by Ray Billings of Tombstone to compete as Perfect Phoenix in future seasons of the show.
Teena Liu[]
Partner to team captain Paul Ventimiglia, Teena Liu (now Ventimiglia) has been present for each of Bite Force's competitions to date. Since Aptyx Designs' most recent BattleBots appearance in 2019, she has married Paul and adopted his surname.
Rob Masek[]
Having previously competed with Lucky prior to joining Apytx Designs, Rob Masek joined Jason Vasquez and Defender for the 2021 season, also assisting with the team's flagship heavyweight, Whiplash.
Tim Bogdanof[]
Following the team's decision to go on hiatus, Tim Bogdanof joined Offbeat Robotics and has competed with HiJinx ever since.
Robots[]
| Robot | Weight Class | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Bite Force | Heavyweight | World Championship I World Championship II World Championship III re:MARS all:STARS 2019 World Championship IV World Championship V (Withdrew) |
| Tantrum | Lightweight | Season 3.0 |
| Green Wave | Middleweight | Season 5.0 BattleBots IQ 2002 BattleBots Rochester R3 BattleBots at JavaOne |
| Ntertainment | Hobbyweight | NPC Charity Open 2004 (Withdrew) |
| Brutality | Heavyweight | BattleBots IQ 2006
2009 Pro Championship |
Win/Loss Record[]
- Wins: 34
- Losses: 6
Trivia[]
- Builder Paul Ventimiglia is the first person to win the Championship of the same weight class with two different robots (Brutality in 2009 and Bite Force in 2015, 2018 and 2019).
- He is also the first person to win two competitions of different weight classes with the same robot (Brutality in BBIQ 2006 and the BattleBots Pro Championship 2009)
References[]
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/smfhgc/comment/hvxws8t/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuRA3V58k_c
- ↑ Team Aptyx Designs announces they would not be competing in Season 6
- ↑ Paul Ventimiglia further explains Bite Force's withdrawal in Season 6, Reddit
- ↑ NIGHTHAWK's introduction, Aptyx Designs on Facebook