It was originally a two-wheel drive robot armed with a unique crushing weapon, which utilized an air bag to push the top jaw downwards and into its opponent's top armor. Kraken is themed to look like an anglerfish unlike the robot's name, which is a legendary sea monster typically depicted as something closer to a giant octopus. The team cited Witch Doctor as their main inspiration to carry a strong theme with their robot.[1]
Kraken during World Championship III hero shots.
The first version of Kraken was built within the span of six weeks.[2] In Kraken's debut season, it was reduced to fighting in two Science Channel rumbles, but failed to win in either. After losing to eventual bracket winner Lock-Jaw in the first round of the Desperado Tournament, Kraken was winless in the main season, Its sole victory came against Red Devil in the USA vs. The World special - a competition Matt Spurk's team were only drafted into at the last moment, replacing the troubled Raven.
Kraken during World Championship IV hero shots.
Kraken returned for World Championship IV with notable changes made in a six week timeframe.[3] Chief among which was the considerably more powerful weapon, which was now able to crush with 40,000lbs of force, making it twice as powerful compared to its debut season. Kraken also sported a flamethrower inside the mouth as a secondary weapon, to spew flame once it got a hold of its opponent. It featured a shorter bulb on top, a rebuilt head, and a fresh new paint scheme for the competition. Kraken also had two narwhal minibots named Wally and Walter, though they would often find themselves getting stuck on the floor. The team's record improved from its debut campaign, but the team missed out on the Top 16 after a devastating loss against Son of Whyachi.
Kraken during World Championship V hero shots.
Due to COVID-19 regulations during filming for World Championship V, much of Kraken's team was absent. However, the bot would ultimately succeed in entering the Top 32. Kraken had been working on new upgrades for the 2020 season, such as new wheels, a modified set of teeth designed to be more functional than before, as well as an inverse color scheme. Two versions of Kraken built for the season in order to aid with maintenance and repairs. One sported a air of 6" long fangs, the angler fish bulb, front wedge plates, and the smaller teeth on the upper jaw. The second one was differently shaped, lacks the bulb, had new teeth, shorter 3" fangs, and featured horizontal spinner armor. Kraken performed well in each of its fights against high-tier opposition, managing a shocking upset against 2019 season runner-up Witch Doctor, losing out on a controversial decision against Black Dragon, and lasting the full three minutes against both HUGE and SawBlaze, the latter advancing past the Top 32 at Kraken's expense.
Kraken returned for two BattleBots: Bounty Hunters tournaments, but was unsuccessful in reaching the Bounty final in either.
Kraken during World Championship VI hero shots.
For World Championship VI, Kraken debuted another new scale design and upgraded wheel protection either side of the primary weapon. Its signature crushing weapon has been upgraded and now can punch holes through ¼" steel. For this season, Kraken could now crush with 100,000lbs of force, as well as clamping down considerably faster than before. Despite its upgrades, Kraken suffered losses in all three of its Fight Night battles, first to returning competitors in ROTATOR and HiJinx before losing to Glitch and failing to make the Top 32 as a result.
In March 2022, the team announced Kraken would be retiring in its current form following the conclusion of the 2021 season.[4] However, they remained open about the idea of redesigning Kraken for future seasons.[5] The team later confirmed their intention to indeed redesign Kraken for future competitions in August 2022, posting a silhouette of their proposed design.[6]
"We met as a team this summer and decided on a new direction for Kraken. We've always compared her to a Pokemon, and thought it made more sense to evolve her into her next form rather than send her to Davey Jones locker. She never quit on us, and it seems wrong to quit on her."
On October 16, 2022, CE Robots revealed their brand new design for Kraken, dubbed Kraken v2 via Facebook livestream. Rebuilt from the ground up, Kraken was now four-wheel drive, using UMHW plastic wheels with neoprene rubber tread attached for increased drive power.[8] Combined with HyperDrive motors and gearboxes supplied by Team HyperShock, Kraken could now hit 18mph - an increase of 50% from previous builds. Its frame was made of ⅜" AR500 steel plates, with the front armor of Kraken mounted to rubber shock absorbers.[8] The biggest change to Kraken concerned its primary weapon, however, which now consisted of a 18" diameter, 13lb spinning disk attached to the end of a clamping top jaw, which formed the mouth of Kraken in keeping with past iterations. The disk itself could spin both ways at 221mph, and be positioned at different heights.[9] The team referred to this as a "kinetic crusher". Despite the new design, Kraken suffered a second consecutive winless season as it lost all four of its fights to Beta, Lucky, Copperhead and Mammoth.
Kraken also competed in Robot Ruckus events away from the televised show, benefiting from its design being sportsman-legal due to a lack of kinetic weaponry. Most recently, Matt Spurk entered it into Robot Ruckus at South Florida Fair in January 2022. It is known to have fought an untelevised heavyweight robot called Ruff, as well as seasoned BattleBots competitor Extinguisher.
In the latter, Kraken was able to sink its teeth into Extinguisher's lithium polymer batteries, causing smoke to fill the arena. Upon confirming Kraken's redesign, the team also stated the original Kraken would still compete intermittently at various US events.
The redesigned Kraken was present at Orlando Maker Faire in November 2023, but did not compete.
Kraken bites into Extinguisher's LiPos at Robot Ruckus in 2022.
Kraken on display, circa 2022.
Kraken takes on Mammoth at Robot Ruckus 2019.
Robot History[]
World Championship III[]
Kraken vs. Sharkoprion vs. Deviled Egg
Kraken bites with Sharkoprion.
Kraken's first match in BattleBots came against Sharkoprion and Deviled Egg in a Science Channel exclusive rumble. After a slow start, Kraken took an early hit from Sharkoprion as it swung its tail, before biting down on Sharkoprion with its fangs. As a result, Kraken lost drive on one side as debris had infiltrated the bot and shorted out the speed controller on that side. After driving around Sharkoprion for a bit, Kraken let go and lost both her fangs as the tubes holding them in place had been bent. Later, it grabbed a hold of Sharkoprion again, but took damage from both Sharkoprion and Deviled Egg. Kraken eventually stopped moving as the earlier impact from Sharkoprion had bent the gearbox and the extra driving on that side removed the teeth from the sprocket and in the end, lost out to Sharkoprion by a KO after 2:22.
Kraken's next match of the season was against Mohawk and Gemini in another Science Channel undercard rumble. Kraken started off with little interaction from either Mohawk or the Gemini twins, who opted to fight each other instead. Kraken continued to play little part in the match and eventually got stuck at the arena screws, where it remained for the rest of the rumble. Time ran out Gemini were declared the victors, reducing Kraken to a 0-2 record.
Kraken vs. Lock-Jaw
Kraken bites Lock-Jaw behind its weapon.
Kraken is flipped over.
Without a win to its name, Kraken became one of eight participants in the 2018 Desperado Tournament, a mini competition for struggling teams to decide a guaranteed Top 16 place. Its first opponent was Lock-Jaw and veteran BattleBots competitor, Donald Hutson. The match started well for Kraken as it immediately grabbed a hold of Lock-Jaw and dragged it all around the arena before letting go. Additionally, it was also fending off most of Lock-Jaw's attacks. However, one particular hit dislodged the crushing jaw mechanism, leaving it almost useless. Making matters worse, Kraken was beginning to lose drive on one side that resulted from a drive motor beginning to burn out. Kraken took a final hit from the rear and was flipped over, where it could not self-right. Kraken was counted out, giving Lock-Jaw the win by KO.
Kraken vs. Red Devil
Kraken bites into Red Devil's right track.
Kraken next participated in the USA vs. The World tournament against Red Devil as a last-minute replacement for Raven, who caught fire in the test box. In response to its most recent loss, the spike behind Kraken's wheels was removed to allow for invertibility. Early on, Kraken was able to bite down on Red Devil's track and show reasonable aggression. This caused Red Devil to have drive issues on that side, so Kraken moved in again, attacking the disabled track but failing to cause any further damage. Kraken was then toppled over by Red Devil but quickly self-righted and resumed its assault. This time, Kraken bit down on the remaining track but was unable to disable it. Kraken then took Red Devil to the pulverizer, which pushed both Red Devil's upper claw and saw arm down. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision and 1 point to Kraken.
Kraken vs. Chomp
A stranded Kraken gets roasted and axed by Chomp.
Chomp flies through the air as it tries to land a hit on Kraken.
Up next for Kraken was Chomp, who was completely win-less on the season at the time. The match started well for Kraken as it was able to clamp down on Chomp and shove her around, Kraken then shoved Chomp into the screws and flipped it over. Kraken then grabbed Chomp's axe when it tried to self-right, but this proved to be a fatal mistake. As Chomp retracted her axe, it flipped Kraken over in the process. However, unlike her last match, Kraken couldn't move because the spike on its head was bent, causing her to tip to one side. This allowed Chomp to land a hit that left Kraken high-centered, but also flipped Chomp onto its front. Kraken was counted out, giving Chomp the win by KO.
World Championship IV[]
Kraken vs. Ribbot
Kraken bites down on Ribbot.
Returning for World Championship IV, Kraken first faced the rookie WPI team, Ribbot. The match began well for Kraken as it quickly won the ground battle and clamped down on Ribbot's chassis, puncturing the decorative foam. Kraken then shoved Ribbot into the screws before releasing it, allowing Ribbot to land a hit that bent one of Kraken's fangs outward. Kraken got a hold of Ribbot again and shoved it under the pulverizer, the resulting hit bent the foam into Ribbot's vertical spinner, tearing it to pieces. Time eventually ran out as Kraken took Ribbot to the pulverizers and landed a late shot. Ribbot's foam caught fire as Kraken took the win by unanimous judges' decision.
Kraken vs. Blacksmith
Fire fills the BattleBox as Kraken and Blacksmith face off.
Kraken's next opponent was veteran Al Kindle and Blacksmith. For this fight, Kraken came in with smaller teeth as Matt Spurk's team believed he would struggle to clamp down on his opponent. When the match began, Kraken was able to avoid any impacts from Blacksmith as Blacksmith was missing with their hammer. However, Kraken was soon taking a barrage of hits, though none of these caused much damage. At one point. Kraken found herself upside down but was able to right itself after a few hits from its opponent. Eventually, Kraken grabbed a hold of Blacksmith and carried it around a bit before letting go without causing any real damage. Kraken was then flipped again before time ran out. The judges awarded Blacksmith a 2-1 split decision.
Kraken vs. Son of Whyachi
Kraken bites down on Son of Whyachi.
Kraken was next placed against former champion Son of Whyachi. In response, Kraken opted to use her sides to absorb Son of Whyachi's impacts and then perhaps use the weapon to clamp down for damage. However, as the match got underway, Kraken failed to properly box rush Son of Whyachi, allowing her opponent to get its weapon going. Kraken made a second attempt and took a hit from Son of Whyachi's hammers, sending both robots flying. Both robots recovered and Kraken took another hit that sent both robots flying again. Kraken went in again and this time was the only one sent flying, losing its left wheel as a result. When Kraken landed, it could no longer move or self-right and was counted out, giving Son of Whyachi the win by KO.
Kraken vs. Wan Hoo (Exhibition)
Kraken activates its flamethrower on Wan Hoo.
Kraken also had a Grudge Match against Chinese representatives Wan Hoo. Kraken struggled to mount any kind of attack as it was constantly toppled over by its opponent, all the while taking damage to its wedge. Luckily, Kraken was able to self-right each time and eventually Wan Hoo lost its weapon belt. With Kraken unable to out-wedge Wan Hoo for much of the fight, it went the distance, and the judges awarded Wan Hoo a unanimous 3-0 decision.
Kraken vs. Lucky (Exhibition)
Kraken and Lucky meet in the BattleBox.
Kraken next had an exhibition match against fellow veteran Lucky. In response, Kraken was accompanied by its minibot. Neither bot gained a significant advantage in the early moments of the fight, as Lucky's early attempts at flipping Kraken did not prove effective. Kraken's minibot was attacked and ended up motionless and smoking heavily. Kraken was then on the receiving end of multiple attacks from Lucky, where it ended up on its back for a few seconds but was able to escape. Unfortunately, during one of those flips, Kraken lost the use of her crusher for the remainder of the match. Kraken was then brought to the screws after its minibot was finished off. However, Kraken was able to escape and managed to have their lowered head right on Lucky's corner armor. This worked against Kraken as it was pushed back against the arena barrier before time ran out. The judges awarded Lucky the decision.
Kraken vs. Shatter! (Exhibition)
Shatter! slips underneath Kraken.
The next exhibition match for Kraken was against newcomer Shatter!. Kraken started poorly as it took early blows from Shatter!'s weapon, but they were not causing much damage. Kraken was then able to get under Shatter! and push it into the arena barrier but not able to really bite down. Both robots maneuvered around until Kraken got under Shatter! again and took it to the pulverizer this time before letting go. With under a minute left, Kraken took Shatter! to the screws and managed to rip off a piece of Shatter! Time ran out with both robots still mobile and Kraken won the judges' decision.
World Championship V[]
Kraken vs. Black Dragon
Kraken bites down and scorches Black Dragon.
Kraken's first fight of the season was against Black Dragon from Brazil. Kraken started off very well as they quickly bit down on Black Dragon and took them around the arena. After releasing, Kraken bit down again and took off one of Black Dragon's weapon belts. Black Dragon's weapon still worked and Kraken was flipped over, but righted itself. Kraken then took Black Dragon around again, but lost a tooth in the process. Kraken was then flipped once more and righted itself before time ran out. The judges awarded a controversial 2-1 split decision for Black Dragon.
Kraken vs. Witch Doctor
Kraken explodes Wally to bits on Witch Doctor's spinner.
Kraken's next battle was a Main Event tie against former runner-up and 2019 re:MARS champion, Witch Doctor. For this fight, Kraken was armed with its thinner teeth to try and clamp down between Witch Doctor's wheels. Kraken had a very good start as they immediately bit down on Witch Doctor and broke their left hardened disc's off, leaving their opponent spinning unbalanced. Wally the Narwhal then charges, bumps into Witch Doctor, and is accidentally sent spinning into Kraken's mouth. Kraken hastily bit down again, exploding Wally to bits in the process. Kraken then carried their opponent around the arena some more, pushing Witch Doctor against the screws and slamming each other against the rails. On the third grapple, both robots were at awkward angles such that only half their drive was on the ground, but this still favoured Kraken as they managed to take off one of Witch Doctor's weapon belts. Kraken took minor damage in retaliation from its opponent as a piece of armour was stripped off the front of its head. With under thirty seconds remaining, Kraken continued to use its teeth to try and halt Witch Doctor's spinner. Kraken bit down on Witch Doctor's right tire and took its opponent to the pulverizer, which momentarily stopped Witch Doctor's weapon before time ran out. The judges gave a unanimous 3-0 decision to Kraken.
Kraken vs. HUGE
Kraken receives an uppercut from HUGE.
Having just won a surprising upset over Witch Doctor, Kraken was now against Jonathan Schultz and HUGE. As a result, they were armed with a small harpoon-like weapon to get at HUGE's wheels to keep their opponent from driving around. Kraken went in and bit down on HUGE's center, allowing them to control them for several seconds and shoot fire down the middle of their chassis. Kraken released and started to lose the decorative covers for its armor but this had no impact on its functionality. Kraken soon lost the use of its jaws but was still able to control HUGE a bit using the harpoon. However, Kraken was then thrown onto its back and lost its rear tail but was able to right itself before time ran out. The judges awarded HUGE a unanimous 3-0 decision.
Kraken vs. SawBlaze
Kraken attempts to clamp down on SawBlaze.
Despite its 1-2 record, Kraken did enough to get into the Round of 32 as the No.26 seed and ended up facing the No.7 seed SawBlaze. Kraken started off rather poorly as they were quickly slammed into the screws, flipped over and took damage from SawBlaze's hammer saw. Kraken righted itself and bit down on SawBlaze's primary weapon, where it then struggled with for control. It soon became apparent that Kraken could not release SawBlaze on her own and the match was paused to separate them, however any hint of this was edited out of the TV airing. When the match resumed, Kraken took another hard hit to her head before being slammed into the arena barrier and having its left wheel cut off. Luckily, SawBlaze could not use its saw anymore but Kraken struggled to capitalize and were left taking punishment for the rest of the fight. Time ran out and the judges awarded SawBlaze a 3-0 decision and a spot in the Top 16.
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters[]
Tombstone Bracket[]
Kraken vs. Claw Viper
Kraken and Claw Viper bite down on each other.
Claw Viper looks to suplex Kraken.
Matt Spurk and Kraken also took part in BattleBots: Bounty Hunters to determine which would face Tombstone for a piece of the $25,000 cash prize. This meant they faced off with newcomer Claw Viper. Kraken was off to a good start as they not only evaded Claw Viper's box rush but grabbed their opponent and started taking them around the arena with their flames going as well. Kraken took minor damage as a result before letting go and was lifted up a few times but its awkward shape made it difficult for the lift to be effective. Kraken managed to bite down again, this time taking Claw Viper to the screws. After this, neither robot made much more of an impact before time ran out but the judges awarded Kraken a unanimous 3-0 decision.
Kraken vs. SMEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Kraken chews the side of SMEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
Kraken's next match was against SMEEEEEEEEEEEEE, which had won a decisive KO over Mammoth. Kraken started off okay as while they weren't able to get a bite on their opponent, they weren't really taking any damage in return. Kraken threatened to bite its opponent before finally clamping down on one end, and taking SMEEEEEEEEEEEEE into the screws. After more driving, Kraken managed to bite down in the middle and take SMEEEEEEEEEEEEE back to the screws before time ran out. The judges awarded Kraken a 2-1 split decision to advance.
Kraken vs. Gruff
Kraken in the blue square, decorated with aluminum foil.
Kraken gets to grips with Gruff.
Kraken now found itself against Sam McAmis and Gruff. For this fight, it sported additional aluminum foil around its head for decoration. Kraken was off to a great start as they quickly bit down on Gruff and carried them around, leaving Gruff to take it out on their minibot Narwhal. Kraken released and was flipped over, where it spent more time than normal struggling to right itself. As a count started, Kraken was moved into a position in front of the screws where it was able to right itself. Kraken was then flipped again but righted itself again and took Gruff to the screws. Time ran out with both robots still working but Gruff won a unanimous decision to face Tombstone for a piece of the cash prize.
Son of Whyachi Bracket[]
Kraken vs. Rusty
Kraken clamps and roasts Rusty's side.
Kraken's top is drilled by Rusty.
Kraken's head is ripped off by Rusty.
Kraken became one of the only robots to fight in multiple Bounty Hunters brackets. In the Son of Whyachi tournament, Kraken found itself against Dave Eaton and Rusty. Early on, Kraken was able to get to Rusty's sides and shove it around, winning the early aggression points. Kraken pushed Rusty towards the corner, but Rusty landed a powerful shot to Kraken's head, managing to completely disable the air bag which was key in allowing its crusher to operate. With no primary weapon, Kraken was unable to grab Rusty for the remainder of the fight as its bag dangled outside of the chassis. The judges awarded Rusty a unanimous 3-0 decision, eliminating Kraken from the bracket.
World Championship VI[]
Kraken vs. Skorpios
Ahead of the main season, Kraken took part in an untelevised dress rehearsal fight against Skorpios, used to test camerawork and lighting ahead of the 2021 season being filmed. It is not known whether a winner for this fight was declared.
Kraken vs. ROTATOR
A flaming Kraken has ROTATOR in its jaws.
Kraken is extinguished as the crew attempt to separate both bots.
Kraken first fight of the 2021 season was fellow Florida veteran ROTATOR. For this fight, Kraken was partnered again by Wally the Narwhal and ROTATOR began the match inverted. As the fight began, Kraken charged right at ROTATOR, forcing it to turn as it was unable to spin up quickly enough, which made it vulnerable to Kraken's primary weapon. However, ROTATOR evaded its opponent and was able to spin up properly in the middle of the BattleBox. ROTATOR attempted to lead with its forks, with enticed Kraken to get a bite with its bladed teeth. Though when ROTATOR spun around, Victor Soto's bot dealt a big strike to Kraken's side. The second shot saw both robots turned away by the impact and before long, Wally found itself caught in the crossfire as ROTATOR attacked and parts of the minibot were strewn across the floor. In doing this, ROTATOR got itself caught in Kraken's grasp in such a way that the horizontal disc's tooth was clamped in place. Suddenly, flame erupted from the head of Kraken as it appeared its flamethrower tank had become damaged from an earlier assault. Matt Spurk's bot continued to burn, but it became apparent soon after that it was unable to release ROTATOR. As per the rules, the fight was halted and crew came in to extinguish Kraken in an attempt to separate them manually. If the two bots could not be unstuck, the fight was due to go to the judges. However, ROTATOR and Kraken were eventually apart and the fight resumed with 1:50 left on the clock.
"Let the bot battle... uh, resume?"
— Chris Rose highlights the rare occurance of a fight having to be temporarily halted, and then resumed
Kraken becomes toothless at the hands of ROTATOR.
ROTATOR destroys Kraken's air bag late on.
From the restart, Kraken tried to chase down ROTATOR but a swift turn saw Victor Soto's bot snap off both teeth from its opponent's primary weapon. Now toothless, Kraken still managed to run ROTATOR disc-first into the screws, but it was now without its ability to crush or shoot flame. ROTATOR dished out more glancing shots as it became apparent one of Kraken's tires was coming apart with foam littering the BattleBox. Kraken was only running on one wheel, so ROTATOR bided its time before attacking again, not wanting this to go to the judges. ROTATOR then struck the side of Kraken again, causing an explosion as the air bag was ruptured and an entire side was hanging limply. Despite all the damage, Kraken survived to a judges' decision, but they ruled unanimously in ROTATOR's favor.
Kraken vs. HiJinx
Kraken takes a shot from HiJinx.
Kraken attempts to clamp down on HiJinx.
Kraken's second fight was against HiJinx. Kraken opted for their more traditional teeth for this match, as the frame containing their bladed teeth was destroyed in their previous match. As Kraken approached, it made contact with the bar and deflected away. The bar of HiJinx had been slowed in this early exchange, however, leaving Jen Herchenroeder's bot vulnerable as Kraken returned to clamp down on its opponent. HiJinx managed to escape, but had been flipped over as a result of the attack. This proved to be a blessing in disguise as the bar was positioned high enough to strike the head and teeth of Kraken, and did just that multiple times. This caused cosmetic damage to the head and buckled one of its teeth slightly. Suddenly, HiJinx was no longer moving, prompting Matt Spurk of Kraken to ask for a count, but HiJinx showed signs of life shortly after. HiJinx delivered several big hits to Kraken's head, before finding itself smothered by Kraken and unable to spin up. Kraken bit down on HiJinx, but failed to puncture their armor, then sent them to the Upper Deck via the screws. HiJinx attempted to drive off, but managed to beach itself on the edge of the hazard in doing so. With neither wheel able to gain purchase, HiJinx struggled to escape. In the background, Kraken was driving in circles, with neither robot appearing fully mobile. HiJinx fired its spinner and was eventually able to free itself and drive away. Another hit from the bar buckled the head of Kraken, and one more ripped a tooth away completely. Despite Kraken's hampered mobility, it survived to the end and the fight went to the judges. A unanimous decision was awarded in favor of HiJinx, putting Kraken to 0-2.
Kraken vs. Glitch
Glitch and Kraken collide.
Kraken is bullied by the rookie team.
Desperate to avoid an 0-3 finish, Kraken's third and final opponent was one of the surprise packages of the Fight Night rounds, 2-0 Glitch. For this fight, Kraken had been totally reworked between fights, now a hybrid of its old and new frames. As Kraken approached in the first few seconds, Glitch kept its weapon pointed at its opponent and strafed to avoid the crusher. Kraken attempted to push Glitch against the barrier but took a small hit from the eggbeater, followed by a bigger hit which sent Kraken spiralling through the air. Kraken landed on its side atop the screws, which dragged Matt Spurk's bot onto the Upper Deck. As a 20 second count began, Kraken struggled to right itself, but eventually escaped. However, its right side wheel was no longer turning and Kraken was vulnerable in the short corner. Glitch held back as Kraken attempted to manoeuvre its way back to its opponent, but it took a hit to its back panel. Kraken was again hit in the back and was sent bouncing towards the side screws. Kraken was no longer mobile and was counted out, falling to 0-3 with a rare loss by knockout.
BattleBots: Champions I[]
Kraken vs. Blade
Kraken suffers a side swipe from Blade.
An injured Kraken gets a late bite on Blade.
Kraken also entered the post-season series BattleBots: Champions I, and met Team ORBY'sBlade in the first round of the bracket. Kraken began by riding up the rear plow of the South Korean bot. Blade spun around and delivered a blow to the mouth of Kraken, slicing into Wally the Narwhal as it deflected away. Although one of Blade's weapon belts broke on this impact, it continued to attack and tore into the front wedge of Kraken. Matt Spurk's bot prepared its flamethrower as Blade was stationary near the killsaws, but drove away soon after. Kraken escaped to the short corner, trying to coerce Blade into the narrowest part of the BattleBox. Blade did not oblige, and instead delivered a big hit to the side of Kraken which saw it land on its side. Kraken self-righted and attempted to bite down on Blade, but suffered another hit to its upper jaw. Undeterred, Kraken clamped down on Blade's rear plow and drove it towards the wall. Unable to take it to the pulverizer, Kraken opted to send Blade to the screws of the Upper Deck instead. However, Blade spun in its grasp and the horizontal bar began shredding the rubber tire of Kraken, grinding against the hub and sending foam across the floor. Blade slammed Kraken again with its bar, whose lower jaw had now peeled away. It also struggled to drive, as its undamaged wheel appeared to not be moving as freely as before. Kraken arced towards Blade, who sent its wedge panel flying across the BattleBox and warped the sides of the lower jaw. Matt Spurk still attempted to get another bite on Blade in the final minute of the match, and its right-side drive had now locked up completely. Although Kraken survived the three minutes, Blade took the win by way of a unanimous judges' decision and it was eliminated from the competition.
In an emotional post-fight interview, Matt Spurk formally announced that this version of Kraken would be retired. This was backed up in Kraken's March 2022 Reddit AMA.[10]
World Championship VII[]
Kraken vs. Beta
Kraken takes on Beta.
Kraken debuted its new design against the returning British hammer of Beta. Unveiling the new spinner version of Kraken for the first time, both the team and the builder community were confident it would be able to take down Beta, with a builder poll taken before the fight revealing that 77.8% of the roboteers at the event believed Kraken would triumph over the legend.
"This is an evolved Kraken. This isn't the same robot that was the punching bag for the entire field last year. This is a robot that's going to start punching back."
— Matt Spurk expresses confidence in his new design ahead of its first fight
Kraken and Beta jockey for position.
When the match started, Kraken took a wobbly first step, meeting Beta near the center of the arena and grinding away at its wedge before being smacked on the head by its opponent's hammer. The two robots probed each other's defenses, unable to line up good attacks against each other, until Kraken wound up behind the British machine, slamming its weapon down onto Beta's wedge to send it flying. Kraken followed this up by once again getting behind Beta, this time in the corner of the arena, and slicing away at its exposed backside. However, the spinning disk was unable to connect with the hammer's gas tank, only doing minor damage.
Kraken attacks Beta.
However, Kraken continued to display limited mobility, trundling slowly towards Beta as it too struggled to move properly. Nearly forty second passed before their next meaningful collision, but this time it was Kraken who came away worse for wear as Beta's hammer dropped directly on the spinning disk, disabling it almost instantly. With its weapon out of commission and its drive floundering, there was nothing Kraken could do to stop Beta from landing multiple attacks in the closing seconds, suffering a series of blows from the British machine's bent hammer in the closing moments of the bout.
"Well, we added a spinner this year, and we still went to a judges' decision. So I don't know what we're doing wrong!"
— Matt Spurk laments Kraken's inability to score a knockout against Beta
Once again, Kraken's fate was in the hands of the judges. Although it had had a strong start to the match, the judges ultimately ruled in favor of Beta unanimously, meaning that Kraken was once again starting its season 0-1. Although he lost the match, captain Matt Spurk expressed optimism for the new Kraken, believing that the issues it faced in the fight could be fixed during the season and confidence in the power of the new weapon.
Kraken immediately encountered drive issues as it struggled to escape its starting square. However, its spinner was up to speed so still posed a threat to Lucky, who dashed out of its square to meet its opponent. Matt Olson pinned Kraken against the screws before backing off and lining up for another attack, throwing Kraken onto the Upper Deck.
"Flipped onto the Upper Deck! And let's see if Kraken can work its way off that thing..."
— Chris Rose as Kraken lands upright onto the hazard
Kraken tries to work its way off the Upper Deck.
As Lucky drove towards the short corner, Kraken arced in place and eventually slid out of danger with help from the screws. However, the Canadians remained aggressive and hurled Kraken back onto the Upper Deck as one of its drive belts lay on the BattleBox floor. Ethan Spurk attempted to swing Kraken's head back and forth to free it from trouble once more, but Lucky waited patiently and tossed its opponent through the air again. It then launched Kraken into the opposite short corner.
"Drive issues plagued Kraken in their first fight, and here they are again."
— Kenny Florian
Lucky pins Kraken against the rails.
Unable to escape, Kraken was a sitting duck. Lucky continued to smother it as the pulverizer landed a shot of its own. As Matt Spurk tried to drive his robot away, Lucky delivered a barrage of flips, ultimately pinning an inverted Kraken against the rails as the seconds ticked away.
Although Kraken survived to a judges' decision, Lucky was unanimously declared the winner and the Spurk family fell to 0-2 for the second successive season.
Kraken vs. Copperhead
Kraken's third Fight Night opponent was 2-0 Copperhead. Keen to end its winless run stretching back to BattleBots: Bounty Hunters, Kraken needed to cause an upset for any chance at a place in the Top 32.
"Our armor is designed for robots like his, so if we can get those two front forks in under his drum, we may be able to just control him from that point..."
— Matt Spurk explains his plan to beat Luke Quintal and Copperhead
Copperhead takes Kraken to the pulverizer.
Immediately, both robots spun up and Kraken charged at Copperhead, with its arm lowered. However, it overshot its box-rush, allowing Copperhead to punt it against the screws. Copperhead then managed to get in underneath Kraken's front spikes and ram it against the rails, almost suffering a shot from the 100lb pulverizer. However, Luke Quintal's team accidentally hit their own robot and backed away.
Copperhead retreats as Kraken attempts to right itself.
Kraken escaped but unbalanced with its weapon spinning, lifting its front off the floor. Capitalizing on this mistake, Copperhead pushed its opponent across the length of the BattleBox before allowing it to slide into the screws. Though Kraken corrected itself, the 2-0 bot grazed its drum against the underside of Matt Spurk's bot.
"Kraken's weapon is still active, Chris. But my goodness, Copperhead just has no fear. Luke Quintal in complete control."
— Kenny Florian as Copperhead continues its assault
Kraken is mercifully counted out.
Copperhead continued to attack, grinding the front and then the back panel of Kraken, pinning it against the housing of the screws. This attack appeared to knock Kraken out, as it lay dormant on the edge of the red starting square. Copperhead turned its attention to Wally, Kraken's minibot, before delivering a blow which overturned the main robot again. Kraken swung its arm in a desperate attempt to self-right. It finally did so, but was at the mercy of its opponent as Copperhead dealt a final shot to the head of Kraken.
Referee Kathryn Godfrey began a count and Copperhead took the win by knockout, forcing Kraken to a dreaded 0-3 record. Post-fight, the CE Robots team confirmed this Kraken frame had to be retired due to damage sustained by Copperhead.[11]
Kraken vs. Mammoth
Desperate to avoid a second successive winless season, Kraken's fourth and final Fight Night opponent was Mammoth.
Kraken and Mammoth meet in the middle of the arena.
As the fight began, Kraken met Mammoth in the center of the arena, with the latter using its trunk to swat Kraken away. Keen to avoid the primary weapon of Mammoth, Kraken got its kinetic crusher up to speed and positioned it low to target the wheels of Ricky Willems' bot. However, Kraken was again pushed away by Mammoth's trunk.
Ricky Willems: "Yeah, that's a good one!"
Chris Rose: "Good shot, there..."
— Chris Rose and Ricky Willems react as Mammoth gets the early advantage
Kraken is taken to the corner.
Kraken opted to drive its vertical spinner into the mid-section of Mammoth, but the six-foot robot shoved the side of Kraken's arm, comfortably keeping Matt Spurk's robot at a distance. These repeated attacks began to bend the white, UMHW half of Mammoth's trunk, but the 1-2 bot kept being aggressive, ultimately shepherding Kraken into the corner.
Mammoth presses Kraken against the rails.
With little room to move, Mammoth caught the arm of Kraken and flipped it over. It self-righted, but could not escape the corner as Mammoth's trunk caused cosmetic damage to Kraken's head before overturning it a second time. On this occasion, Mammoth followed this up with a ram into the wall, turning its opponent around. Now in a suboptimal position to get onto all four wheels Mammoth retreated, gifting Kraken time and space to flip back over in a show of sportsmanship.
Kraken's vertical spinner appeared to no longer be functional and as the clock ticked down, it became apparent that Kraken's drive had also been compromised.
"He is going to end up making it the distance, but unless the judges saw something that we didn't, you have to imagine it's another winless season for Matt Spurk and Kraken."
— Chris Rose as the clock hits zero
Kraken survived to a judges' decision, but they voted unanimously in Mammoth's favor, consigning Matt Spurk's team to a second successive season without a win to their name. Post-fight, the team confirmed Kraken had only been running on a single weapon motor for the fight, with shorted leads from another motor acting like a brake on its spinning weapon.[12]
Kraken vs. Skorpios (Exhibition)
Kraken's team in Skorpios attire and vice versa.
Kraken returned for a single exhibition match against Skorpios as part of Vengeance in Vegas II. For this fight, the teams dressed up in each others' attire.
Both robots meet in the middle of the arena.
Skorpios and Kraken immediately met in the middle of the BattleBox, with the former Bounty Hunters winner looking to prevent Matt Spurk's robot from spinning up. It missed the blade, however, and this allowed Kraken's weapon to get up to speed. Skorpios drove Kraken towards the drivers' booths in spite of this.
Skorpios rams Kraken into the screws.
As it struggled to stay squared up to Skorpios, Kraken offered its vulnerable back end to Zach Lytle. Skorpios brought its saw down on Kraken's top armor and drove it into the screws behind the red starting square. Kraken collided with the hazard face-first, toppling over and biting the screws with its clamping jaws.
Kraken is attacked by Skorpios.
Kraken tried desperately to escape the screws, but was stuck as Skorpios approached again with its weapon spun up. Skorpios brought its saw down on Kraken but failed to slice into its baseplate before retreating. Kraken's narwhal minibot tussled briefly with its much larger opponent before Kathryn Godfrey initiated a count against Kraken, confirming Skorpios' win by knockout.
BattleBots: Champions II[]
Kraken vs. Switchback
Kraken also competed in BattleBots: Champions II, where it took on Greg Needel'sSwitchback in the first round of the opening Sin City Slugfest bracket. It was again accompanied by Wally the Narwhal as a minibot for this battle.
Switchback rams Kraken into the screws.
Quickest out of its starting square, Kraken oversteered initially but compensated to face its opponent again. Switchback was able to get to the side of Kraken's arm, shoving Matt Spurk's robot back while avoiding the spinning weapon. The eggbeater drum of Switchback then hit Kraken's feeder wedge, punting it back before Kraken's own weapon bounced it off the screws.
As Kraken landed inverted, it struggled to right itself. Greg Needel took full advantage of this, punting Kraken into the adjacent screws and snapping a weapon belt in the process. It returned to its wheels, but the stray belt and other parts now hung loose from the wounded Kraken.
Chris Rose: "Well, now that 13lb blade that spins at over 200mph... non-functional on Kraken. What can he do, Kenny?"
Kenny Florian: "For starters, the team's gotta stop flailing that head like that. They should lower the weapon arm - like how Switchback has theirs - which will make it more effective as a pushbot."
— Chris and Kenny assess Kraken's options
Kraken swings its head back and forth as Switchback has it pinned.
Switchback continued to control Kraken, temporarily shutting down its weapon as both robots edged near the short corner. As Switchback found space, however, it began to spin back up. Matt Spurk's bot drove directly into the weapon in an attempt to prevent this, which appeared to work, but Kraken remained on the back foot as the Top 32 finisher kept bullying Kraken around the arena, and pinned it against the Upper Deck.
Switchback pins Kraken again - this time against the paddle.
As Kraken was pressed against the screws and then the spiked paddle, it began smoking momentarily. With both robots operating as pushbots in the closing minute, this favored Switchback with its superior drive power, but both survived the full three minutes.
The judges unanimously ruled in Switchback's favor, and Kraken was eliminated in the first round.
"If this bot was a holiday, it would be Fangs-giving. Here with a side of candy slams, get ready for a big helping of pumpkin die. It's KRAKEN!"
"Your lips will be smacking, fighting spirit won't be lackin', destruction will be stackin'. It's KRAKEN!"
"This snake is straight from the Garden of Beatin'. Bringing a fight of biblical proportions and that's the gospel truth. It's KRAKEN!"
"Here to make you walk the plank is a bot that's part snake and part tank. It'll give you a whackin'. Release KRAKEN!"
"Step on a crack, break your momma's back. Don't step on this bot without a plan of attack. Its scales never fails. Its fangs provide bangs. It's packin', it's KRAKEN!"
"It's the scourge of the seven seas and it's coming for your booty. Better cover your buccaneers, 'cause the show you're about to see is rated ARRR! Let's get crack-a-lacking! Release the KRAKEN!"
"Knock knock. (Who's there?) Ahh yeah. (Ahh yeah who?) Ahh yeah, it's the mystic sea creature who's coming to crush you. Open the door for KRAKEN!"
"It's covered in scales and will leave you impaled. X marks the spot where you got bit by this bot. It's here for paybackin', it's KRAKEN!"
"This team and bot are a scary looking lot. I see pirates and a monster, but that's not all they got. If you haven't seen it fight, then that's your loss. My favorite part is now, when the kids do The Floss. Prepare to get a smackin' from the KRAKEN!"
"Yo-ho, yo-ho. These pirates about to be beat. Coming from the briny depths to chomp you 'til there's nothing left. Dead bots tell no tales. KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, he came here to breathe fire and chew bubblegum. AND HE'S ALL OUT OF BUBBLEGUM! It's KRAKEN!"
"Crack is whack, that's where we should begin. But this team will crack a bottle when they celebrate their win. This bot has giant metal teeth that can break you in two. So if you ask him what’s crackin', it's probably you. Give it up for KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, he's got more bite than a vampire at a neck convention, it's KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, this swashbuckling crew of pirates will hit you so hard you won't know your port from your starboard. It's KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, it's the beast from the deep, here to put you to sleep. this is KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, here to do some serious bot smacking, it's KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, you can't handle the tooth. Here's KRAKEN!"
"You don't want to cross this frightening bot. The scariest thing out of Florida, and that's saying a lot. Stealing jet skis, fighting gators shirtless like it's no thing, he's such a lunatic, they crowned him Florida's king. Florida bot arrested for homicide, it's KRAKEN!"
"Sit right back, and you'll hear a tale of a fateful BattleBots trip. At the hands of this ripping skipper, you'll sink like Gilligan's ship. It doesn't take a professor to know that your robot won't fare well. He's a big fish. You're a minnow, little buddy. Enjoy your three-minute tour of hell. It's KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, this salty captain will point at your robot and shout, 'Thar it blows!' It's KRAKEN!"
Trivia[]
According to a Reddit post Kraken is female, evidenced by the LED at the front which is commonly associated with the female anglerfish.
All eight of Kraken's battles in 2020 were decided by judges' decision, including its BattleBots: Bounty Hunters fights.
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