Detroit Is Now The Home to Real-Life Robot Battles
If you’ve ever dreamed of watching two giant robots duke it out in real life like something straight out of Gundam Wing or Pacific Rim: welcome to your new obsession.
Detroit is now home to one of the wildest, most futuristic sports you’ve probably never heard of: RoboWar. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like—massive, 9-foot-tall robots squaring off in live, hard-hitting battles.
Think wrestling match meets video game, with a little bit of anime energy thrown in for good measure.
The whole thing is the brainchild of the Interactive Combat League, and if you’re picturing two Roombas with boxing gloves, think again. These are serious machines, built in Detroit, piloted by actual humans (some with MMA backgrounds), and designed to take (and deliver) real hits.
Each robot is decked out in armor and weapons, controlled remotely, and faces off in a battle cage while fans cheer on their city’s metal-clad champion. Picture Detroit vs. Chicago, Baltimore vs. New York taking each other on, but instead of athletes it’s just massive mechanical warriors going head-to-head.
From the videos posted to social media, it seems they’re a little slow and clunky, but it wouldn’t stop me from sitting in the stands and cheering.
They’re also starting to promote that people who want to view the matches from home, can soon effect some elements including shooting missiles and more:
It’s part sport, part spectacle, and totally all Detroit.
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If you’re curious (and honestly, how could you not be?), the next Interactive Combat event is going down June 21, from 5 PM to 7 PM, at 21630 W. 7 Mile Rd. If you want more details, check out their website.
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Gallery Credit: Laura Hardy
