Plot Synopsis

With play-by-play analysis from Chris Rose and color commentary from Kenny Florian, homemade robots battle against each other in a single-elimination tournament-style format as the robot shrapnel flies in the BattleBox. Hosted by Molly McGrath (Season 1) and Samantha Ponder (Season 2), BATTLEBOTS features sideline reporters -- Jessica Chobot (Season 3), Allison Haislip (Seasons 1 & 2) and NASA engineer Bobak Ferdowsi (Season 1) -- covering every inch of the robot fighting competition. Judging each battle are former BATTLEBOTS competitor and special effects artist Fon Davis; the face of Nerdist, Jessica Chobot; and NASA astronaut Leland Melvin (Season 1) or a guest judge (Season 2). Ring announcer Faruq Tauheed presides as the bots go metal-a-metal. During the first night of the six-episode tournament, eight teams converge in an arena of minefield and hazards during the Qualifiers round. Each match consists of a single three-minute bout in which the goal is to completely destroy or disable the opponent. If there is no knockout during the three-minute battle, the panel of judges declares a victor to move onto the next round.

Season 2 of BATTLEBOTS premiered on Thursday, June 23, 2016 from 8-10pm ET/PT on ABC. Chris Rose and Kenny Florian return, and they are joined this season by ESPN's Samantha Ponder, who serves as the show's host in Season 2. Covering every inch of the robot fighting mayhem is sideline reporter Alison Haislip. Judging the battles are former BATTLEBOTS competitor & special effects artist Fon Davis, the face of Nerdist Jessica Chobot and a special guest judge for each round of the competition. Ring announcer Faruq Tauheed will preside as the bots go metal-a-metal. 48 builders representing four continents make up this year's field -- double the size of last year's tournament. With them they bring an unprecedented arsenal, innovative designs, destructive new weapons and for the first time in the history of robot-fighting tournaments, the launch of drone warfare. The competitors range from NASA engineers to teenage students and everyone in between -- each with one goal: to claim the ultimate title and walk away with the Giant Nut. Winners from the 24 matches in the qualifying round automatically advance, after which the selection committee picks eight wildcards from the losers to join them. Once the teams advance out of the qualifying round, it's single elimination all the way to the title.

BATTLEBOTS returned for an all-new season on Friday, May 11, 2018 at 8pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel and Wednesday, May 16 at 9pm on Science Channel. The new season features the biggest, baddest, strongest, and fastest next-generation robots from all over the world as they duke it out for supremacy in the rapidly exploding world of Robot Combat Sports. Chris Rose and Kenny Florian return to call all the action, while Jessica Chobot serves as the sideline reporter. Faruq Tauheed is back as the ring announcer. The metal munching mayhem is back, from the bots to the builders, the flames, the spark and all the robot guts and glory. Each match consists of two robots competing in a single, three-minute bout in which the goal is to destroy or disable their opponent. If there is no knockout during the battle, a panel of judges will declare a victor. Some of the returning favorites this season include Tombstone, Minotaur, Chomp, Witch Doctor, Bronco, Bombshell, Bite Force, Yeti, and more. BattleBots highlights the design and build of each robot, bot builder backstories, and their pursuit of the BattleBots championship. Homemade robots built on a myriad of platforms and featuring a huge variety of deadly weapons go head-to-head, all captured by state-of-the-art onboard technology and cameras to enhance viewing and provide combat analytics. The panel of judges for Season 3 includes: Alison Haislip, Naomi Kyle, Derek Young, Mark Setrakian, Lisa Winter, Bobak Ferdowsi, Grant Imahara, Simone Giertz, and Frank Ippolito.

BATTLEBOTS is set for its second season on Discovery Channel -- and its fourth season overall -- premiering on Friday, June 7, 2019 at 8pm ET/PT, while Science Channel airs the series on Wednesday nights from 8-10pm starting June 12. BATTLEBOTS features the world's biggest, baddest, strongest, and fastest next-generation robots from all over the world as they duke it out for robot fighting supremacy. 2018 Champion Bite Force returns to defend its title against top competition including perennial contenders Tombstone, Minotaur, Witch Doctor, Bronco, Bombshell, and Yeti. The play-by-play team of Chris Rose and Kenny Florian return to call all the action. Faruq Tauheed is back as the ring announcer. Jenny Taft joins the fun this season as the sideline reporter. Judges this season are Derek Young, Jason Bardis, and Lisa Winter. The season opener, "That's What You Call a KO!," kicks off the new season with 67 epic bots as they face off to become the 2019 BattleBots World Champion. The main event features Tombstone (2016 Champion) vs. Lock-Jaw (2-time Giant Nut winner).

On Thursday, December 3, 2020 from 8-10pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel, BATTLEBOTS returned for an all-new metal crunching fifth season. After production was halted due to COVID-19 earlier this year, BATTLEBOTS is back for a brand-new season of epic robotic combat. Sixty teams from across the globe have converged for the hardest hitting, unremitting, steel splitting tournament in combat robotics. Unproven rookies, up-and-coming stars and legends in the game will throw their fearsome fighting machines into the BattleBox for a chance to walk away with the preeminent prize in robotic sport: The Giant Nut. The action-packed metal madness kicks off with an epic main clash -- former world champion Ray Billings with his lethal bot Tombstone faces Jack Barker's End Game from New Zealand. Other stars include Whiplash and SawBlaze, both with championship aspirations. Captain Shrederator, hoping to spin its way to a win against Lock-Jaw, and Bloodsport, who will be out for blood against Skorpios. This year's builders have put their robots to the ultimate test and will stop at nothing to take down the competition. Sportscaster Chris Rose and UFC fighter Kenny Florian return once again to provide play-by-play commentary, while Jenny Taft reports from the builder pits and Faruq Tauheed is the ring announcer. Also, a new expert will be joining the commentary team: the Bot Whisperer, aka BATTLEBOTS veteran and robot guru Peter Abrahamson. Filming with cast, crew and bot builders was carried out under the strictest health and safety protocols, with constant supervision and regular testing, and without a live audience. Instead, the spectators were the teams themselves, watching all the action (and their competitors) from specially constructed "opera boxes" placed around the giant BattleBox arena.

On Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT on Discovery, BATTLEBOTS returned for its sixth season, immediately following an all-day marathon (9am-8pm) of encore episodes. In the season opener, "Slash and Burn!," bots from around the globe return to the BattleBox to face off in the world's top robot combat tournament -- including reigning champ End Game from New Zealand, launching its title defense against Hydra, the biggest flipper on the planet. More than 60 teams travel to Las Vegas for a chance to take home the greatest prize in the sport: The Giant Nut. Each night a vicious lineup of bots battle for their lives in the iconic BattleBox but only the toughest will live to see the next round. Rivals meet again, more determined than ever to be victorious. Former title holder Tombstone returns to the BattleBox. After missing the 2020 season, Blacksmith, Minotaur, DUCK! and Icewave make their triumphant returns to wage war against fan favorites Witch Doctor, SawBlaze, Hydra, Whiplash and Valkyrie, but only one will be crowned the top bot in the world. Returning sportscaster Chris Rose and former UFC fighter Kenny Florian to provide play-by-play commentary, along with expert contributions from Pete Abrahamson, a.k.a. The Bot Whisperer, and Faruq Tauheed in the BattleBox as Ring Announcer.

On Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel premiered Season 7 of BATTLEBOTS. Sportscaster Chris Rose, and former UFC Fighter Kenny Floria are back to lead the action, giving their famous play-by-play and color analysis, while Faruq Tauheed returns as the Ring Announcer to get everyone in the arena, and at home, into the fighting spirit. In the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, the most competitive field of combat robots ever assembled have come to wage war with one goal in mind: to qualify for the BattleBots World Championship VII. Featuring 50 teams from across the globe, sparks fly and robots die in the iconic BattleBox arena at Caesars Entertainment Studios as teams vie for the sports top prize: The Giant Nut. Wielding ever more lethal weapons and upgraded hardware, this year's elite bots will face their most grueling test as, for the first time, all teams will complete a predetermined four-fight qualifying season. Also, for the first time, all teams' full fight schedules will be released prior to the start of the World Championship VII qualifying rounds. BattleBot's ever expanding, rabid fanbase can now look forward to more fights, more strategy, and more destruction as season long "live tracking" of results and standings are enabled thru these format changes. This year's select field features a host of brilliant new teams with meta breaking designs eagerly attempting to stand shoulder to shoulder with the returning legends of the sport. Tensions will soar as fan-favorites including Witch Doctor, SawBlaze, Hydra, Hypershock, Minotaur, past champion and current Golden Bolt winner, End Game, and reigning World Champion Tantrum, take on the fiercest teams from Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South America, all slugging it out in a series of battles to the death. Will End Game or Tantrum keep their winning streaks alive against the deepest field in BattleBots history or will they end up in pieces? Will Riptide and Glitch extend their epic freshman runs, or will they suffer the dreaded sophomore slump?