This is BattleBots Update
| Debut: August 2, 2026 |
| Episodes: 20 (planned) |
| Opening Theme: "Theme from Destruction Derby: Arenas" by Simon Withenshaw |
| Cast: Draco (host, writer, editor) Steel Pinata (co-writer, guest) Tuna Boat Tony (co-writer, guest) Roastmaster (co-writer) Reflex (guest) bayballchamp92 (guest, cameraman) Fandramon (guest (voice)) Nikki Ramsay (guest) Suave Sniper (cameraman) |
This is BattleBots Update is a limited run web series that follows the BattleBots company's online-exclusive BattleBots: Pro League spin-off. It is produced jointly by Gator Company and Twilight Foundry for the Gatorbox YouTube channel. The show is an adaptation of the comedy blog BattleBots Update which Draco was the author of from 2015 to 2024 and features the unique blend of fight breakdowns, engineering explanations, and battle commentary BattleBots Update was known for while leaning heavily into the blog's extensive library of running gags. The series also includes brief comedy sketches and cutaways where Draco either plays himself or performs celebrity impressions. A revolving door of additional guest performers are also featured throughout the show, some of them recognizable as Gatorbox co-hosts (Steel Pinata, Tuna Boat Tony, etc.).
A teaser for This is BattleBots Update consisting of the opening skit and title credits from the first episode was shared privately to channel supporters on July 16, 2026. The full episode itself debuted on August 2, 2026. Due to the delayed release schedule for the show (approximately every 2.5 weeks to BattleBots: Pro League's 1 week) full episode previews are generally not released to Patreon supporters early in an effort to be as time-efficient as possible; instead, production stills and rough cuts of the pre-taped comedy segments are shared as they are filmed asynchronously to the show's main content. Draco also records promotional segments while in character as various celebrity impressions urging viewers to watch the show.
Theming
This is BattleBots Update was predominately filmed in a temporary set decorated with a mixture of iconic mementos from Draco's time on the BattleBots TV series, notably the green "anti-drone" rake made famous by the 2016 Hypershock vs Warrior Clan fight, and robots he built and competed with in the 2000's and 2010's. A framed memorial photo of former competitor Richard Riley (with Spinning Mayhem), whom the tenth and final episode of Fanfiction Factory was dedicated to, is also present among the retired robots.
As a way to stay true to the project's "intentionally dated" theming the set's centerpiece is a Quasar 50-51 VCR and 90's-era Sony Trinitron CRT television which are used to review fight footage. (The television set seen in the first episode, a Sylvania that Draco owned as a child, was damaged as a result of a roof leak prompting an immediate replacement for the show's second episode onward. The original TV can still be seen in early press and promotional photos from the show.) The television serves a secret "second purpose" by allowing Draco to use more footage from the Pro League series while he talks about the fights without running the risk of triggering automatic copyright detection.
Recurring Gags
The blog This is BattleBots Update is based upon was known for its numerous running gags, many of which have been folded into the YouTube series as a nod to longtime fans. However the show has also established several unique recurring jokes of its own, which include:
- A different kind of elaborate waste of energy is described every time the BrightData AI prediction model is shown.
- Martin Mason (Mad Catter) is referred to as "Next" Mason due to a graphic placement error in Pro League's first episode.
- Kazooie (voiced by Fandramon) interrupts the show every time a bird-related pun is used.
- The infamous "sorry I fucked it up" autograph from Ray Billings (Tombstone) received a two-episode setup & callback when he was forced to forfeit the event.
- Malice is treated as the butt of several remarks regarding its ability to fight despite the fact the robot has a >50% win record.
- Comments and feedback are addressed on the show as if they were letters physically mailed to the studio.
History
Main article: BattleBots Update
BattleBots Update was a weekly blog that followed all seven seasons of the 2015-2023 reboot era of BattleBots (as well as the brief revival of the BBC's Robot Wars). The concept was to take a satirical look at the competitors and their fights with comedic exaggerations of their best and worst qualities. BattleBots Update was an overnight hit for Draco; the project was heavily promoted by the producers of BattleBots for its first few seasons, and Draco was invited by the production team to participate in five of the seven said seasons.
Despite facing diminishing returns with readership in an online landscape increasingly dominated by shortform video content, and shifting social/political opinions, Draco dutifully followed the show for its entire run and ended the blog in 2024 after having penned over 200 articles with an approximated total word count of 1.6 million. The blog is remembered fondly by the show's cast and competitors and its lasting legacy was BattleBots' adoption of the "Giant Washer Award" name, one that had been used on the website as a parody of the show's famous Giant Nut trophy.
Reception
The launch of This is BattleBots Update was met with considerable praise from viewers, many of whom had migrated to the Gatorbox channel in the years that the original BattleBots Update blog was actively being worked on. Noteworthy early positive responses included Paul Ventimiglia (three-time champion with Bite Force), Ray Billings (one-time champion with Tombstone), Anthony Murney (creator of the UK's Antweight Anarchy series), and Doktor Ocelot (composer for TETR.io and graphics artist for Your Level Sucks).
Though he has not publicly commented on the YouTube show, BattleBots co-founder Greg Munson has positively rated posts about This is BattleBots Update on social media and had previously referred to the BattleBots Update blog as "the funniest [stuff] I've ever read". This is BattleBots Update was also shared by the official BattleBots Facebook page on August 25, 2026, the gesture seen as an endorsement of the show (which had previously been done with articles from the blog).
Episodes
Season One (2026/2027)
| Episode | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | This is "This is BattleBots Update" | August 2, 2026 |
| Draco, living in retirement somewhere along the Texas gulf coast, is goaded into reviving BattleBots Update at the request of Matilda who implies an offer of salacious acts in return. Death Roll's builder is stated to be in Draco's "top three people named Steve Martin", ranking below the comedian and furry artist who also share the name. Malice's breaching of the RoboGames arena in 2024 is retroactively determined to be "based". | ||
| 2 | Zang Tumb Tombstone | August 25, 2026 |
| Upon witnessing former champion Tombstone utterly fail to live up to its expectations Draco retrieves a famous autograph from driver Ray Billings and asserts his distaste by fervently "tapping the sign". Draco goes on a miniature rant after Skorpios breaks down in a single hit, pleading with the producers of the show to stop trying to make the robot "a thing". Draco performs an ad read for a mental health hotline. | ||
| 3 | Three Witch Doctors & A Dinosaur | TBA |
| Draco claims Disarray, Ribbot, and Switchback all owe Andrea Gellatly royalties for copying Witch Doctor's overall look. Terrortops is cheered on as the bot to win it all despite Draco's disapproval at the robot having previously defeated Bullion, a robot which he sponsored. Presidents Donald J. Trump and Barack Obama deliver a bipartisan commendation to BattleBots Update for excellence in American comedy writing. | ||
| 4 | Oops, All Verts! (Except Bloodsport) | TBA |
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| 5 | In Memoriam: Tombstone | TBA |
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