World Championship VII

World Championship VII
Network	Discovery
Presented by	Chris Rose Kenny Florian
Champion	SawBlaze
Runner-up	HUGE
Premiere Date	January 5, 2023
Episodes	19 (22 including specials)
Defending Champion	Tantrum
Filming Dates	October 18 - October 30, 2022
Location	Las Vegas, NV
Preceded by	BattleBots: Champions I
Succeeded by	BattleBots: Champions II

World Championship VII (also known as Discovery Season 7 and the 2022 season) was the seventh season of BattleBots since its return to television in 2015, and the fifth season since the Discovery network picked the show up from ABC.

In August 2021, The Hollywood Reporter that announced BattleBots would remain on Discovery for at least another two seasons, following the success of World Championship V. Several teams who opted out of applying for or were not selected for the 2021 season of the show expressed their desire to enter the seventh season, notably international teams who were largely absent from the previous two seasons as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition was again filmed at Caesars Entertainment Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada, which became the new and permanent venue for BattleBots in 2021.

A banner featuring SawBlaze and Kraken to promote filming.

On August 26, 2022, the BattleBots Twitter account inferred "mid-October" as a filming date for BattleBots World Championship VII, responding to a tweet from a fan. This was later confirmed on the BattleBots website, specifically stating filming sessions running from October 18 until October 30. A trailer was also uploaded to their YouTube channel to promote ticket sales. Tickets were made available to Facebook Supporters on September 9, 2022 before being released to the general public on September 12, 2022 at 10am PT.

Another banner promoting the season premiere on Discovery, featuring Banshee and Overhaul.

BattleBots World Championship VII saw a total of 50 competing robots, including teams from the UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and The Netherlands. Relaxation to international travel restrictions meant teams from those countries could make the journey without travel bans or NIE Visa restrictions which plagued teams in the last two seasons.

The season once again featured several established BattleBots teams entering multiple bots, such as Bots FC with Emulsifier and Shatter!, Robotic Death Company with Cobalt and Gigabyte, Seems Reasonable Robotics with Tantrum and Blip, Team Whyachi with Hydra and Fusion, and the newly formed Omega Team with Starchild and RIPperoni. There were also notable absences from World Championship VII, however, including former Giant Nut winner Tombstone, veterans Icewave, Blacksmith, SubZero, Ghost Raptor, Yeti, DUCK!, Uppercut, P1 and fan favorite Deep Six.

The seventh season saw an increase from 40 to 54 total hours ordered by Discovery, which paved the way for BattleBots to be able to provide a builder stipend - a monetary amount set aside to financially support teams for their investment each season. This amount included space for several special episodes which aired alongside the main competition, two of which aired on January 5 and February 2, 2023. A third special aired on February 16, 2023 - a compilation of Main Events involving World Championship V runner-up Whiplash.

• BattleBots: Nastiest Knockouts
• BattleBots: Most Outrageous Moments

The website logo for World Championship VII.

The Fight Night format returned to four fights per robot for the first time since World Championship IV. Teams which are able to fulfill their four Fight Night battles are rewarded the full builder stipend, and were made aware of all four opponents in their schedule ahead of their opening battle. In spite of the change in the Fight Night format, the Top 32 single elimination Championship bracket remained.

Banners of former Giant Nut winners put up for World Championship VII.

While Chris Rose, Kenny Florian, Faruq Tauheed, judges Derek Young and Lisa Winter and referees John Remar and David Sanfilippo all returned to their respective roles, pit reporter Jenny Taft was once again absent following the birth of her daughter in March 2022. Judge Jason Bardis, who had been present since the judging panel was made permanent in 2019, was also no longer present. His replacement was later discovered to be former guest judge and Mouser Mecha-Catbot builder Fon Davis, who returned to the panel for the first time since the 2016 competition. While he was still present doing his usual duties as a behind-the-scenes producer, Pete Abrahamson no longer appeared on camera as a fight analyst. He still produced content for the BattleBots YouTube channel, however, conducting in-depth interviews with teams and technical talk about their robots. The first of these videos, titled Bot Whisperings, was with Team End Game and uploaded on March 2, 2023.

This season also saw the introduction of an official Match Steward, as confirmed in the 2022 season Tournament Rules, acting as a middleman between the judges and competing teams. The Match Steward was later revealed to be former Bombshell captain Mike Jeffries. In addition to this, a new female referee, Kathryn Godfrey, joined the team to further assist with the enforcement of rules before, during and after fights.

The season was won by Jamison Go and SawBlaze, who advanced through the Fight Night rounds with a 3-1 record before taking out No.1 seed Minotaur, surprise package Ribbot and the undefeated HUGE in order to claim its first Giant Nut trophy. Best in show awards were not given out during the regular season, and were instead presented parallel to the second installment of BattleBots: Champions. While the Excellence in Sportsmanship Award was given to Rory Mangles of Team Monsoon, the Most Destructive Robot Award was won by World Championship VII runner-up HUGE. The Grant Imahara Award for Best Design was presented to newcomer RIPperoni and the Founder's Award was won by MadCatter.

Team SawBlaze hoist the Giant Nut.

Founder's Award winner - MadCatter.

Grant Imahara Award for Best Design winner - RIPperoni.

Most Destructive Robot Award winner - HUGE.

Excellence in Sportsmanship Award winner - Rory Mangles, Team Monsoon.

Champion	Runner-Up	Semi-Finalists	Quarter-Finalists
SawBlaze	HUGE	Copperhead Ribbot	Riptide Witch Doctor Minotaur Hydra

Road to the Giant Nut

The Road to the Giant Nut logo.

During the World Championship bracket, Chris and Kenny debuted a televised post-fight segment called Road to the Giant Nut. Here, they spoke to various team captains about their most recent fight, as well as seeing the robot up close to analyse damage and tactics.

Main article: Road to the Giant Nut

Pre-Season Power Rankings

In the build-up to World Championship VII filming, BattleBots began their Pre-Season Power Rankings, counting their top robots to look out for during the season. With four robots revealed each day from October 6 until October 13, 2022, this also served to confirm returning robots such as Quantum, Monsoon, DeathRoll and Beta directly from the show's social media accounts. It also marked the official confirmation of Team Whyachi and Hydra, who had notably not even been unveiled to Facebook Supporters during the 2022 roster reveal.

Reveals and Trailers

In anticipation of the new season, several key producers of BattleBots, namely Pete Abrahamson, Greg Munson, Chris Cowan and Aaron Catling, attended the LA Comic Con event on December 2, 2022 at 7pm to answer fan questions as well as provide a sneak peek for a few episodes of the upcoming season. In addition, Martin Mason and Matt Vasquez showcased their respective bots at the event. Several robots had their full Fight Night schedule revealed with a view for every robot's schedule to be made public at a later date. The entire first episode's fight card was shown too, although this information was not made public for another month.

On December 15, 2022, three weeks before the season premiere, BattleBots released a thirty-second official trailer for the upcoming season on their Facebook account. The trailer featured shots of Las Vegas, followed by brief clips exclusively from 2021 season battles, all of which were narrated by Faruq. The trailer closed with Faruq saying his catchphrase "It's robot fighting time!" as the January premiere date was confirmed, with the same black and gold color scheme seen in the trailer for BattleBots: Champions.

Facebook Supporters then received another trailer on December 22, 2022 showcasing clips from World Championship VII, and every robot's Fight Night schedule was also shown to the Supporters on Christmas Day. The second trailer was released publicly on December 25. Every robot's full Fight Night schedule was publicly revealed on January 5, 2023, just hours before the season premiere.

Broadcasts

The season was confirmed to be premiering in January 2023 by judge Lisa Winter on Instagram, as was estimated by Greg Munson in a Behind the Bots podcast previously. The premiere date was later confirmed to be 8pm EST on January 5, 2023 by Discovery on social media. For the first time also, episodes premiered simultaneously in the United States and Canada. Following the airing of Episode 10, World Championship VII went on a two week hiatus due to March Madness.

Facebook Supporters were also granted a sneak peak to BattleBots: Nastiest Knockouts on December 28, 2022, and it premiered on Discovery immediately after Episode 1 of World Championship VII. A second special episode titled BattleBots: Most Outrageous Moments aired after the fifth episode of the main season.

Rule Changes

Mobility

Witch Doctor refusing to engage with Minotaur, anticipating a count-out during the 2021 season quarter-finals.

In response to several fights that were won under highly controversial circumstances during the 2021 season, BattleBots stated their intention to revise the rules regarding controlled movement as well as unsticks and avoidance of engagement for future seasons. This was confirmed by Greg Munson, who stated that "controlled movement" as a concept would no longer be enforced, and a count-out would only occur if a robot was totally immobile. This rule was first trialed at the 2022 re:MARS all:STARS event, and was well-received by teams.

"We don't care if you're crab-walking, we don't care if you're using your weapon to gyro yourself to different parts of the arena. That's not a knockout anymore... It's basically a duel to the death now."

— Greg Munson on the Behind the Bots podcast

Post-Match Functionality

In addition to this, post-match functionality checks were now an option for teams who wished to prove to the judges that they could still function as intended ahead of a judges' decision. These were only done if deemed safe, and demonstrations were to last no more than ten seconds before the robots were removed from the BattleBox. This addition to the rules was added to clear up ambiguity over whether a primary weapon had been disabled during the course of the fight, or simply powered down to preserve it or for any other tactical reason. Similarly, big hits late in a fight could sometimes make it unclear how damaged the recipient's drive was in the closing seconds, so the post-match functionality option allows teams to prove or debunk this ahead of a decision.

Whiplash becomes stuck in the Upper Deck during its tournament fight against Cobalt in the previous season.

Engagement and Unsticks

HyperShock and SawBlaze's opening battle ends in a double KO.

Referees now also held the right to warn teams who refuse to engage during battles with the possibility of fights being called and ending as a double knockout, instead going to the judges. This first happened in Episode 9 when a double knockout was declared during the fight between Malice and Valkyrie as both bots were unable to engage due to mobility issues. Unsticks are only to occur if two or more robots are stuck to each other, as opposed to any part of the BattleBox. This rule was brought into play twice during the second episode; SawBlaze and HyperShock became stuck together in the opening battle and could not be separated, so the fight went to the judges. Valkyrie and Mammoth also became stuck, but were separated and the episode was edited to mask this off-screen effort. The successful unstick between HUGE and Blip, by contrast, was not edited out.

Hydra sitting and allowing Tantrum to drive over its front during the 2021 season.

Judges' Decisions and Appeals

The 11-point judging system (5 points for Damage, 3 points for Aggression and 3 points for Control) as well as the Matrix system introduced in 2021 remained. In response to controversial fights such as the World Championship VI semi-final match between Hydra and Tantrum, clarification was provided to ensure less ambiguity over what constituted a showing of aggression. The 2022 Judges Guide states "actively moving around searching for an attack angle is considered more aggressive" than remaining largely stationary while keeping your weapon pointed towards the opponent.

The appeal process explained during Episode 5 of World Championship VII.

As of this competition, teams now hold the right to dispute a judges' decision if they feel they have been wronged, as per the BattleBots judging criteria. It is the duty of the Match Steward to liaise with the teams, and then to present the dispute to the judges, who have the right to accept or deny the appeal. If a team loses their appeal, they cannot issue another for the remainder of the tournament. If successful, however, the team are allowed to appeal again. The rule first came into play in Episode 9 when Malice captain Bunny Liaw successfully used her appeal to win the judge's decision against Valkyrie after the judges initially declared Valkyrie the winner.

LiPo smoke from Gassy Cat filled the BattleBox during the previous season's battle between MadCatter and SawBlaze.

Minibots

One notable rule change concerning robot design saw minibots weighing up to 20lbs no longer being allowed to use lithium polymer batteries, largely due to the tendency for LiPo fires when minibots had been hit by the primary weapon of its considerably larger opponent. This led to some minibots being retired, including Big Dill's Spicy Meatball.

Maximum Voltage

Another change made for safety reasons concerned the maximum voltage robots could dedicate to their weapon and drive systems. This notably affected former Top 16 and Top 8 finishers Uppercut and Ribbot, whose weapons ran above this cap in previous seasons. Therefore, a custom, low voltage alternative was produced for Uppercut's successor, RIPperoni.

"The voltage used for the weapon and motion systems cannot be more than a nominal 60 volts. The maximum voltage allowed for any low-power auxiliary systems anywhere else in the bot is 240 volts. However, if your bot uses any voltages higher than 60 volts, you will have to convince us that you know what you are doing, and we reserve the right to reject your bot's design for failure to meet our safety requirements."

— BattleBots Design Rules 2022

Changes to the BattleBox

The newly-painted BattleBox for World Championship VII.

The BattleBox itself remained largely the same as in 2021, with the Upper Deck returning for its second season, albeit with minor aesthetic changes.

The Lexan additions to the OOTA zones.

"The Upper Deck is a platform raised several inches off the floor of the Arena... The two other sides of the platform are short barrier step-ups to the platform level."

— Updated information regarding the Upper Deck, highlighted in blue as a change from the 2021 season

As seen in panned shots of the BattleBox, the exit areas on either side leading into the short corners were now painted red and blue. The out of the arena zones by the BattleBox doors were now guarded by Lexan doors, making out of the arena knockouts still possible, but now more difficult to achieve.

Fight Night Schedules

Robot		Fight Night Record	Fight Night Opponents
Banshee		1-3
Beta		3-1
Big Dill		1-3
Black Dragon		2-2
Blip		2-2
Bloodsport		2-2
Captain Shrederator		1-3
Claw Viper		3-1
Cobalt		3-1
Copperhead		3-1
DeathRoll		2-2
DOOM		0-0	**
Doomba *		0-2
Double Tap *		2-0
Dragon King *		1-1
Emulsifier		1-3
End Game		3-1
Free Shipping		1-3
Fusion		1-3
Gigabyte		1-3
Glitch		0-4
Gruff		1-3
HiJinx		1-3
Horizon		1-3
HUGE		4-0
Hydra		3-1
HyperShock		2-2
JackPot		2-2
Kraken		0-4
Lock-Jaw		3-1
Lucky		3-1
MadCatter		2-2
Malice		3-1
Mammoth		2-2
Minotaur		4-0
Monsoon		2-2
Ominous		1-3
Overhaul		1-3
Quantum		4-0
Ribbot		1-3
RIPperoni		3-1
Riptide		4-0
ROTATOR		2-2
Rusty		0-0	***
SawBlaze		3-1
Shatter!		1-3
SHREDDIT BRO!		2-2
Skorpios		2-2
Slammo! *		0-2
Starchild		0-4
Switchback		3-1
Tantrum		1-3
Terrortops *		2-0
Triton		2-2
Valkyrie		2-2
Whiplash		2-2
Witch Doctor		3-1

* These robots were alternates for the competition, and as such, did not receive the full four Fight Night battles.

** DOOM was forced to relinquish its place as a full competitor. It was replaced by Big Dill, who adopted DOOM's intended Fight Night schedule.

*** Rusty was originally an alternate for the competition, but experienced issues and could not compete in the regular season.

BattleBots: Fight Night

Episode 1: ROBOTS, READY!!!

"It's opening night of BattleBots VII. All your favorite killer machines and genius teams are back for the #1 tournament in robotic sport. The BattleBots World Championship qualifiers kick off with an epic fight card, including fancied contenders like Witch Doctor, Ribbot, Glitch, and Riptide. The climax is a Main Event for the ages, as the reigning champion Tantrum begins its title defense against Minotaur, the raging bull from Brazil. It's Robot Fighting Time!"

— Official description for Episode 1

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 1

Ribbot vs. Witch Doctor

Quantum vs. Captain Shrederator

RIPperoni vs. Gruff

HUGE vs. Shatter!

Riptide vs. Glitch

Free Shipping vs. Gigabyte

Tantrum vs. Minotaur

Episode 2: WHAT THE FLIP?!

"It's the second week of the Championship qualifiers, and the temperature is rising. Fan favorites like HyperShock, SawBlaze, MadCatter and Whiplash return to the BattleBox, plus there's the debut of some exciting hotshot rookies. And at the end of the night, a menacing main event features two title holders: Golden Bolt winner End Game, from New Zealand, takes on Blip, the flipper designed by Aren Hill, who created the current Giant Nut holder Tantrum. Standby for Chaos!"

— Official description for Episode 2

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 2

SawBlaze vs. HyperShock

Emulsifier vs. Fusion

Valkyrie vs. Mammoth

Whiplash vs. MadCatter

Switchback vs. Banshee

Big Dill vs. HiJinx

End Game vs. Blip

Episode 3: Strike While the Bot's Hot

"It's the return of DeathRoll, the Aussie Assassin that punches its blood-soaked fist in victory every time it destroys an appointment. Tonight it faces a nautical monster with the biggest weapon in the field – the rookie Triton. Meanwhile Bot Legend Donald Hutson returns to try and resurrect Lock-Jaw's reputation after a disappointing display last season. The night culminates in a tumultuous Main Event as the world's most infamous flipper Hydra looks to flip the script on the master of destruction, ROTATOR."

— Official description for Episode 3

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 3

Cobalt vs. DeathRoll

Claw Viper vs. Ominous

Bloodsport vs. Copperhead

Lock-Jaw vs. Malice

Triton vs. Lucky

JackPot vs. Skorpios

ROTATOR vs. Hydra

Episode 4: 0-2. Am I Through?

"The stakes are high as World Championship VII heads into its fourth week of the season. The last eight robots that have yet to fight will go head-to-head in glorious robot combat. While six other squads will look to improve on or continue their success in the BattleBox."

— Official description for Episode 4

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 4

Black Dragon vs. Monsoon

Emulsifier vs. Malice

Overhaul vs. Starchild

Gruff vs. Quantum

Kraken vs. Beta

SHREDDIT BRO! vs. Horizon

Whiplash vs. HyperShock

Episode 5: Bad Blood Boiling?

"The second round of qualifying fights continues with a fight card jam packed with Giant Nut contenders. With dreams of the world championship tournament creeping into the minds of the combatants, the teams look to leave a lasting impression by unleashing their fury inside the BattleBox. This symphony of violence reaches a crescendo in a main event between two teams with serious beef, as these squads are ready to settle the score."

— Official description for Episode 5

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 5

Free Shipping vs. Minotaur

Claw Viper vs. Ribbot

Lock-Jaw vs. SawBlaze

Blip vs. HUGE

Witch Doctor vs. Fusion

Doomba vs. Double Tap

MadCatter vs. Riptide

Episode 6: Robot Redemption

"It's just a few weeks into World Championship VII, and if you thought things were violent, standby for some even more ferocious matchups. Like the return of two former Most Destructive bots, ROTATOR and Valkyrie; fan-favorite Skorpios and Aussie bot DeathRoll, with its terrifying severed arm. The world's only Pizza Bot, RIPperoni, tries to slice through the former World Champion from New Zealand, End Game. But at the end of the night, there's a Main Event for the ages. In the most anticipated fight of the season so far, there's a rematch between current Giant Nut holders Tantrum, and the formidable flipper Hydra, whose last match was... controversial, to say the least. Get your spiciest popcorn ready!"

— Official description for Episode 6

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 6

RIPperoni vs. End Game

Switchback vs. DeathRoll

Captain Shrederator vs. HiJinx

ROTATOR vs. JackPot

Big Dill vs. Skorpios

Banshee vs. Valkyrie

Hydra vs. Tantrum

Episode 7: Violent Night

"In Vegas, where dreams are made… and broken, the stakes are climbing for 14 more teams as Week 7 of World Championship VII rolls on. Expect a heaping helping of destruction as Cobalt and Minotaur collide in a Main Event so violent, it should be rated "R"."

— Official description for Episode 7

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 7

Bloodsport vs. Gigabyte

Claw Viper vs. Overhaul

Horizon vs. Monsoon

Starchild vs. Mammoth

Triton vs. Copperhead

Lucky vs. Kraken

Minotaur vs. Cobalt

Episode 8: Mirror, Mirror

"With the tournament approaching, some of the biggest names in the sport will be jockeying for top seeds in tonight's fight card. And in the main event it's the ultimate sibling rivalry when Blip steps into the BattleBox to face its sister team and defending World Champions Tantrum."

— Official description for Episode 8

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 8

Free Shipping vs. Hydra

Fusion vs. HUGE

Lock-Jaw vs. Glitch

Beta vs. Shatter!

Quantum vs. Black Dragon

Slammo! vs. Terrortops

Tantrum vs. Blip

Episode 9: You Want a Pizza Me?

"It's the third qualifying fight for these teams. Some must dig themselves out of a hole, while others try to separate from the pack. It's nonstop action, and builds to a kill or be killed main event between a pair of superstars, End Game and HyperShock."

— Official description for Episode 9

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 9

Gruff vs. Witch Doctor

Malice vs. Valkyrie

MadCatter vs. Big Dill

Ribbot vs. JackPot

Skorpios vs. SawBlaze

RIPperoni vs. HiJinx

End Game vs. HyperShock

Episode 10: Mid-Season Mayhem

"World Championship VII has reached Week 10, and the pressure is on! We're about two-thirds of the way through the qualifiers, and with the Round of 32 just a few weeks away, time is running out for teams to make lasting impressions and prove they're tournament-material. Tonight will be no different, as we've got an eclectic mix of hard-hitting favorites."

— Official description for Episode 10

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 10

Riptide vs. Captain Shrederator

Mammoth vs. DeathRoll

Banshee vs. Emulsifier

Copperhead vs. Kraken

Horizon vs. Shatter!

Ominous vs. SHREDDIT BRO!

Whiplash vs. Monsoon

Episode 11: Never Say Die

"Buckle up for a bumpy ride. For some of tonight's teams, it's Do or Die – they must either win the battle or go home. And there's a Main Event so violent, sparks will be bouncing off the BattleBox, as one robot dies and the other fries. But will victory go to Bloodsport or ROTATOR?"

— Official description for Episode 11

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 11

Black Dragon vs. Beta

Cobalt vs. Overhaul

Switchback vs. Ominous

Triton vs. Glitch

Gigabyte vs. Starchild

Captain Shrederator vs. JackPot

Bloodsport vs. ROTATOR

Episode 12: Jaws and Claws

"With the World Championship VII tournament just around the corner, the race for the Giant Nut kicks into top gear. Tonight's fight card features some of the biggest names in the sport jockeying for tournament seedings in their final fight of the qualifying rounds. And in what could be a preview of this year's Championship Final, in the Main Event, for the first time ever SawBlaze will face the formidable flipping power of Hydra."

— Official description for Episode 12

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 12

Lock-Jaw vs. MadCatter

Gruff vs. Malice

Doomba vs. Dragon King

Claw Viper vs. HyperShock

Free Shipping vs. Big Dill

SHREDDIT BRO! vs. Lucky

Hydra vs. SawBlaze

Episode 13: Pizza Party

"With dreams of World Championship glory only a few weeks away, anxious, desperate, and dangerous robots are barreling into the arena and putting everything on the line. Tonight, more teams will wrap up their qualifying season with their fourth and final fight. While some seek a coveted top seed in the tournament, others just want to avoid a humiliating defeat. As the roller coaster ride to the Giant Nut nears its apex, it's the last chance to hop on board for the ultimate robot ride."

— Official description for Episode 13

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 13

Emulsifier vs. Quantum

Gigabyte vs. End Game

SHREDDIT BRO! vs. Overhaul

ROTATOR vs. Fusion

Skorpios vs. Ribbot

Dragon King vs. Terrortops

Copperhead vs. RIPperoni

Episode 14: The Unbeatables

"Black Dragon has never been knocked out; Riptide has destroyed every opponent in seconds. Tonight these two formidable foes face each other in the ultimate match up."

— Official description for Episode 14

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 14

Starchild vs. HUGE

Ominous vs. Shatter!

Triton vs. Horizon

Bloodsport vs. Beta

Mammoth vs. Kraken

Valkyrie vs. Glitch

Black Dragon vs. Riptide

Episode 15: The Big Reveal

"Tonight the Round of 32 Bracket will be revealed for World Championship VII. And in perhaps the most anticipated rematch in BattleBots history, Minotaur faces off against Witch Doctor."

— Official description for Episode 15

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 15

Lucky vs. Cobalt

Blip vs. Banshee

Monsoon vs. DeathRoll

Tantrum vs. Whiplash

HiJinx vs. Switchback

Slammo! vs. Double Tap

Minotaur vs. Witch Doctor

Top 32

Episode 16: World Championship VII - Round of 32

"It's Robot Elimination Time, as the Tournament begins with some of the most ferocious bots in the world squaring off in the BattleBox."

— Official description for Episode 16

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 16

Round of 32
(30) JackPot vs. Witch Doctor (3)
(18) HyperShock vs. Lucky (15)
(19) Bloodsport vs. Lock-Jaw (14)
(31) Shatter! vs. Riptide (2)
(22) MadCatter vs. Claw Viper (11)
(27) Skorpios vs. HUGE (6)
(23) ROTATOR vs. Copperhead (10)
(26) Tantrum vs. End Game (7)

Episode 17: 8 MORE TO FALL

"The World Championship Tournament continues with the left side of the bracket. Eight more teams must fall before the final 16 robots are set, and tensions are reaching their boiling point inside the arena. As the squads look to carve out their paths to the Giant Nut, the action inside the BattleBox is more perilous than ever. The most elite field ever assembled has been shrunk down to the best of the best. No bot is safe from a potential upset, and one of these squads might be kickstarting the run of a lifetime and become the next BattleBots champion."

— Official description for Episode 17

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 17

Round of 32
(21) Black Dragon vs. RIPperoni (12)
(24) Monsoon vs. Cobalt (9)
(32) Fusion vs. Minotaur (1)
(29) DeathRoll vs. Hydra (4)
(28) Ribbot vs. Quantum (5)
(17) Malice vs. Switchback (16)
(20) Whiplash vs. Beta (13)
(25) Blip vs. SawBlaze (8)

Top 16

Episode 18: World Championship VII – Round of 16

"Tonight is the Round of 16, and there is no holding back! These lone-surviving bots will clash in hopes of breaking into the quarter-finals. Tonight's action will be bigger, louder, and deadlier than anything we've ever seen. Will the perennial favorites mow through the competition, or will we witness an all-time upset? Nothing is safe here in the post-season, and these teams know it. Some of them have made it this far before, others are here for the first time, but they all have the same goal in mind: to hoist the Giant Nut. Who's it gonna be?"

— Official description for Episode 18

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 18

Round of 16
(28) Ribbot vs. Black Dragon (21)
(14) Lock-Jaw vs. Witch Doctor (3)
(17) Malice vs. Minotaur (1)
(10) Copperhead vs. End Game (7)
(24) Monsoon vs. SawBlaze (8)
(20) Whiplash vs. Hydra (4)
(22) MadCatter vs. HUGE (6)
(18) HyperShock vs. Riptide (2)

Top 8

Episode 19: The World Championship VII Finals

"The World Championship VII Finals have arrived! Tonight, the most thrilling tournament in the sport's history reaches its epic conclusion. Eight of the baddest bots in the world leave no screw unturned in their quest for BattleBots immortality. A grueling gauntlet awaits, but at the end of it all, one team will be crowned BattleBots World Champion and hoist the most coveted trophy in all of robot combat, the Giant Nut! And stay tuned after the action for post show: Road to the Giant Nut, where Chris and Kenny will chat with the new champion."

— Official description for Episode 19

Main article: World Championship VII/Episode 19

Championship Quarter-Finals
(8) SawBlaze vs. Minotaur (1)
(6) HUGE vs. Witch Doctor (3)
(28) Ribbot vs. Hydra (4)
(10) Copperhead vs. Riptide (2)
Championship Semi-Finals
(28) Ribbot vs. SawBlaze (8)
(10) Copperhead vs. HUGE (6)
Championship Final
(6) HUGE vs. SawBlaze (8)

Vengeance in Vegas II

The promotional thumbnail for Vengeance in Vegas II.

On August 14 2023, BattleBots began posting exhibition fights to Facebook Supporters under the title Vengeance in Vegas II In total, there are twelve exhibition battles - an increase from ten in the previous season. Ten of the twelve fights were publicly confirmed on the BattleBots website on November 10, 2023, ahead of their public release on November 25. Two, known to be DOOM vs. Samurai and Banshee vs. Horizon, have been omitted for unknown reasons.

Rusty vs. Hydra

Mammoth vs. Terrortops

Gruff vs. Slammo!

DeathRoll vs. ROTATOR

Double Tap vs. Quantum

Lucky vs. Beta

Kraken vs. Skorpios

Overhaul vs. Doomba

Malice vs. Captain Shrederator

Big Dill vs. Bloodsport

See Also

• 2022 Design Rules
• 2022 Tournament Rules
• 2022 Judges Guide

Trivia

• World Championship VII was the first competition to have been announced more than a season in advance, as it was confirmed alongside World Championship VI.
• BattleBots: Champions I was erroneously referred to as 'Season 7' on multiple platforms, including YouTube and Amazon.
  • In line with this, World Championship VII was referred to as 'Season 8'.
• World Championship VII marked the first BattleBots competition Tombstone would not participate in since the show's revival in 2015.
  • It also marked the first season where the previous season's champion lost the first battle of its title defence.
• World Championship VII was the first BattleBots competition since World Championship I to not feature multibot competitors.
• Gruff vs. RIPperoni was teased on December 26, 2022, making it the first publicly-confirmed fight of the season.
  • This was followed by snippets of Gigabyte vs. Free Shipping and Shatter! vs. HUGE ahead of the first episode's premiere.
• World Championship VII was the first season since the introduction of the Fight Night format in World Championship III where every robot's full Fight Night schedule is revealed ahead of a BattleBots season premiere.
• World Championship VII was the fifth season in a row to air on the same network, tying the number of seasons aired during the Comedy Central era of the show.
• World Championship VII was the first season since World Championship III where SawBlaze didn't fight in the opening battle of a season.
  • SawBlaze did, however, fight in the opening battle of the second episode.
• World Championship VII marked the first time thermal cameras were used during a BattleBots fight, first seen in the fight between Emulsifier and Fusion in Episode 2.
• World Championship VII was also the first time that current BattleBots competitors served as guest commentators alongside Chris and Kenny, first seen in Episode 2 when SawBlaze captain Jamison Go previewed Whiplash vs. MadCatter.
• World Championship VII was the first season where all of the competing teams are polled on who they think will win fights. The first instance of this came in Episode 1 when teams were asked to predict the outcome of Riptide vs. Glitch.
• World Championship VII was the first season to feature a fight where both bots were from the same team.
• The fight card of Episode 6 was the first to be officially sponsored.
• World Championship VII was the first season to have banners featuring past heavyweight Giant Nut winners across both the classic and reboot eras of BattleBots.
  • There was also a banner honoring La Machine and its US Robot Wars championship win.
• This is the first season where Mammoth lost their first fight and the first one where they won their second.
• World Championship VII marked the first time that JackPot and Glitch lost battles during Fight Night.
• World Championship VII marked the first time that Copperhead and HUGE made it to the quarter-finals.
  • It also marked the first time that HUGE, MadCatter and Malice made it past the first fight of a championship bracket.
• World Championship VII was the first season since World Championship I where the top four seeds all progressed to the quarter-finals.
  • It was also the first time that all top four seeds were eliminated at the quarter-finals stage.
  • The title decider was also the first to go to a judges' decision since World Championship I.
• World Championship VII marked the first season since World Championship II where the Giant Nut was not won by a four-wheel drive robot armed with a vertical spinner.