Kraken (ShowBot)

Kraken
Participation Information
Live	BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon
Team Information
Team Members	Matt Spurk Alex Kuehn Ashlee Grubbs Ashleigh Johnson Arthur Wang (Destruct-A-Thon Engineer/Mechanic)
Robot Statistics
Weight	~300lbs (Estimate)
Power	LiFePO batteries
Weapons	Crusher Flamethrower
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

For the robot from CE Robots which debuted in World Championship III, see Kraken.

"Our next bot is a legend in the sport. This thing makes the Loch Ness Monster look like the Geico gecko!"

— Destruct-A-Thon host Steve Judkins introduces Kraken to the crowd

Kraken is one of twelve ShowBots which appear at BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon, the first BattleBots live event of its kind.

It is functionally identical to the 2021 build of Matt Spurk's heavyweight robot, evidenced by being two-wheel drive and pure crushing weaponry which was prominent on the BattleBots fan favorite from World Championship III until BattleBots: Champions. On January 21, 2023, Kraken's official Facebook page announced the robot's involvement in the live show, also showing off five identical Kraken builds. One visible difference between the ShowBot and its main season counterpart concerns the ShowBot's wheels, which consist of foam-filled tires over white hubs rather than the all black wheels Kraken sported from World Championship IV onward.

"The design is based on the 2021 version of Kraken, but we made some upgrades to make her more durable for nightly matches. Most of the parts are new, but we did have a few things (like a couple airbags) from the existing Krakens that we were able to reuse."

— Matt Spurk on the design and construction of the ShowBot Kraken

As with all other ShowBots, Kraken is standardized to use OYES switches made by Team End Game, as well as lithium iron phosphate batteries as opposed to lithium polymer batteries. The latter was enforced to reduce the risk of hazardous fires during shows. While not part of CE Robots, Jim Yeh of Free Shipping was also hired to fit the ShowBots with flamethrowers to accompany its airbag-powered crusher. Although its weight is not known, the Kraken ShowBots are likely heavier than the 250lb weight limit enforced by BattleBots production for their televised World Championships. Matt Spurk revealed that Kraken had been designed with durability in mind, as is the case for many of the event's ShowBots.

For most shows, Kraken has been captained by Las Vegas comedian Alex Keuhn, who also helps with the Proving Ground matches. His final show came on March 24, 2024, after a knockout victory against Tazbot. At the end of the event, he was given a winner pog and Kraken tooth by BattleBots co-founder Trey Roski for his contributions to the show.

Kraken taking on Malice.

Kraken gets a hold of Tazbot during a BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon event.

Matt Spurk's army of Kraken ShowBots.

Trivia

• Kraken is the only ShowBot based upon an actively competing robot not to have been designed around the most recent iteration of its main season counterpart.
• Kraken originally came out to Hans Zimmer's theme for Pirates of the Caribbean, in line with the robot's theming. Around May, they switched its intro music to Boys From The County Hell by The Pogues, which is usually accompanied by Bil Dwyer performing a jig.