The Havoc Rundown

This week on Havoc Rundown, we’re joined by artist Hotkoin for a conversation about the creative side of combat robotics: logos, stickers, character designs, team branding, robot silhouettes, and why the look of a bot can matter just as much as what happens when the weapon spins up. Hotkoin has created artwork seen all across the combat robotics community, including team logos, robot art, stickers...

In this special Havoc Rundown Roundtable, Justin Hunter, Ryan Hunter, Tony Baker, and Thomas Carrol sit down with Kelly Biderman, CEO of NHRL, and Ed Cracknell from DAZN to discuss one of the biggest developments in combat robotics in recent memory: the partnership between NHRL and DAZN. Over the course of this conversation, we explore how the partnership came together, what attracted DAZN to comb...

This episode on The Havoc Rundown , we’re diving into one of the biggest weekends in modern combat robotics: the first-ever NHRL Pro Tour event. Justin, Ryan, Thomas, Tony, and special fifth-chair guest Julian Papasian break down the atmosphere, format, fights, production, and what this new pro-style event could mean for the future of the sport. We also sit down with Joe Copenhaver, builder and dr...

This week on Havoc Rundown, we’re doing something a little different with our official College Robotics special. Justin, Ryan, Thomas, and Tony are joined by graduating builders Evan Rosenblatt and Ezequiel Gonzalez Solano from WPI, Samuel Herman and Daphne Yan from Brandeis University, and Ian Talbert from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for a roundtable on what it’s really like balancing com...

This episode on Havoc Rundown, the crew sits down with NHRL’s own “Evil Henchman” Sam Hanson for a massive behind-the-scenes look at how combat robotics content gets made, how NHRL has evolved over the last few years, and what fans can expect as the Pro League era begins. From announcing events and creating viral content to helping shape the fan experience at NHRL, Sam talks about how his role has...

In this episode of Havoc Rundown, we welcome back a familiar voice you’ve heard in our ad reads and a name nearly every builder recognizes—Seth Schaffer from Just 'Cuz Robotics. Seth joins us to break down how his company has evolved from simple power distribution boards into one of the most influential suppliers in combat robotics. We get into the full story behind Just 'Cuz Robotics, fro...

The road to NHRL April 4th is heating up, and in this episode of Havoc Rundown we break down the matchups, the bots everyone’s watching, and the potential chaos waiting in the bracket. From dangerous dark horses to the machines that could dominate the night, we’re digging into what really matters before the event kicks off. We’re also joined by Max Morningstar of Team Roboctopi Combat Division (TR...

In this episode, we sit down with Corey Nason to talk about his trip to New Zealand to compete at Robot Rampage and what it’s like taking your bot to an international stage. From travel logistics to adapting to a completely different competition environment, Corey walks us through the experience of fighting abroad, the challenges he faced, and how the event stacked up against what we’re used to at...

What does it take to stay competitive at the top of the 12-pound division? This week, we sit down with Zack Knight — the builder behind Pramheda , one of the most consistent and feared vertical spinners in NHRL, for a deep dive into design philosophy, strategic thinking, and what keeps him pushing the sport forward. Zack breaks down how he approaches robot design, why calculated risk-taking is jus...

In this episode, we break down the February 7th NHRL event from top to bottom, the standout performances, the biggest upsets, and what the results mean moving forward. We’re joined by Julian and Dima Papasian to talk about their experience at the event, high-level driving strategy, tough matchups, and how preparation and adjustments play out inside the cage. We dive into the top-performing bots ac...

We’re gearing up for the first major combat robotics event of 2026, and this week we’re joined by Team Omega to break down everything you need to know about Mass Destruction: Resurgence 5, happening January 31st at the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation in Waltham, Massachusetts. Team Omega, the builders behind legendary robots like Starchild and Ripperoni and longtime pillars of th...

It’s a brand-new year at Havoc Rundown, and we’re kicking things off with a streamlined, no-frills kickoff episode. No guests, no commercials, just the crew laying out what’s changing, what’s staying, and what’s coming next. In this New Year intro, we break down everything new for 2026, including a full walkthrough of the updated Havoc Rundown Fantasy League. We cover how the league is evolving, w...

This week on The Havoc Rundown , the crew comes together for a special roundtable episode to close out the year and officially wrap up Season 2. With no guest and no commercial breaks, this episode is a candid, free-flowing conversation covering combat robotics, the podcast, and the community that surrounds it. The team reflects on the past year, discussing standout moments, how the sport continue...

This week, we’re joined by Jamison Go, two-time NHRL worldchampion, BattleBots veteran, and one of the most respected builders in thesport. With the 2025 NHRL World Championships right around the corner, we sitdown to talk about what to expect across all three weight classes, who’slooking dangerous, and what it takes to show up and win on one of the biggeststages in combat robotics. Jamison shares...

In this episode, we’re joined by Richard Tieman , the newest addition to the NHRL commentary team and a rising voice in combat robotics broadcasting. Known for his high-energy pit reporting during Prime Time and thoughtful engagement with builders behind the scenes, Richard brings a fresh perspective to how the sport is covered, narrated, and grown. We talk about his journey from radio broadcastin...

In this special episode, we welcome Kekoto Maane, builder of some of the most unpredictable, off-meta, and surprisingly effective robots in the combat scene, including Kill It With Fire and the multi-bot marvel Power of Friendship . We dive into his creative process, why building “weird” works, and how he turns chaos into consistency. The crew kicks off with a festive Halloween edition of Ryan’s G...

In this episode, we’re joined by Paige Clayfield, builder of Jelly Baby —one of NHRL’s most feared and consistent 3-pound control bots. Coming off her second dumpster win of the season, Paige walks us through the October 4th qualifier, the evolution of Jelly Baby’s design, and what it takes to dominate a division known for explosive spinners and fast turnarounds. We also dive into a full recap of...

In this episode, we welcome veteran builder and BattleBots driver Zach Lytle, the mind behind Skorpios and founder of Bot Bash, a hands-on educational robotics program that teaches kids engineering through real robot demos and engagement. Zach shares his journey from BattleBots to Bot Bash and walks us through what it takes to compete, teach, and grow the next generation of builders. We kick thing...

For the final episode in our Around the World summer series, we’re handing the mic to Ryan for something completely different: a full-on trivia showdown. That’s right—this one’s all games, all chaos, and absolutely no structure. Ryan takes over with a custom-built Jeopardy-style game covering everything from combat robot history to media appearances, obscure builder facts, and even some unhinged O...

In this episode of our Around the World summer series, we travel to Brazil to explore one of the most decorated and innovative combat robotics teams in the world: UaiRrior Robotics , builders of the legendary heavyweight Black Dragon . We sit down with Pedro Paulo and Leonardo Labegalini from UaiRrior to talk about what makes Brazilian bots so resilient, how they’ve built a high-performance team f...

In this episode of the Havoc Rundown, we head to Australia as part of our “Around the World” summer series to spotlight one of the most creative forces in the southern hemisphere: Ben Hayton of Team Panic Robotics. Ben shares the evolution of Australia’s combat robotics scene—from grassroots antweight events in backyard sheds to national featherweight championships—and what makes the Aussie bot co...

In this episode, we dive headfirst into the UK’s robot combat scene with two key voices behind Robot Rebellion: event organizer Gareth Anstee and head judge Ryan Bratley. Together with Justin and the Havoc Rundown crew, we explore how Robot Rebellion brings a uniquely British flavor to the sport, how their events have grown through grassroots passion and clever branding, and why their episodic You...

In this episode of the Havoc Rundown’s "Robots Around the World" series, the crew sits down with Tim Bouwens, the builder behind BattleBots' Ominous and the NHRL standout Wajoo. Broadcasting from the Netherlands, Tim shares his journey through nearly two decades of combat robotics—starting with antweights, building a four-wheel-drive featherweight that’s still winning, and eventually reaching glob...

We’re kicking off our Robots Around the World summer series with a visit to the Great White North! In this episode, we sit down with Team Unforeseen Consequences, the Canadian builders behind the terrifying melty brain robot Demon Core . We talk about how they got started, what makes the Canadian combat robotics scene unique, and how they engineered a 30lb bot that sounds like something out of a s...

On this episode of Havoc Rundown , the team dives into the June NHRL event to recap the most explosive moments from all three brackets. From Monkfish’s relentless run in the 3s, to Full Court’s suffocating dominance in the 12s, to Red Storm’s suplex-powered 30lb championship win, it’s a full breakdown of the chaos, upsets, and highlights that defined the event. Special guest Kevin Milczewski joins...