Why Is Tombstone Not on BattleBots? The Real Story

For years, no machine struck terror into the hearts of combat robotics competitors quite like Tombstone. Engineered and driven by Ray Billings of Hardcore Robotics, the brutal horizontal spinner was the undisputed villain and fan favorite of the reboot era. Armed with a 70-plus-pound spinning blade capable of ripping steel armor to shreds, Tombstone won the 2016 championship and cemented itself as a cornerstone of the franchise. Yet, when recent rosters were announced, fans were stunned to find the iconic bot missing from the lineup. If you have been asking yourself why is tombstone not on battlebots, the answer comes down to a serious personal injury, shifting robot designs, and the grueling economics of top-tier robot combat.

The Primary Reason: Ray Billings' Severe Hand Injury

The primary reason Tombstone missed World Championship VII (Season 7) was an off-season accident suffered by team captain Ray Billings. In late 2022, shortly before filming was scheduled to begin at the BattleBots arena in Las Vegas, Billings was involved in a workshop accident while working on machinery at home.

The incident caused extensive damage to his hand, including severed tendons and damaged nerves, requiring reconstructive surgery and months of intensive rehabilitation. Competing at BattleBots is an intensely physical ordeal. Teams must lift 250-pound robots, torque massive bolts, change batteries under tight turnarounds, and make emergency weld repairs between rounds. More crucially, driving a horizontal spinner like Tombstone requires split-second precision and thumb control on the transmitter.

Because Billings could neither complete the heavy physical labor required to build and prep the robot nor reliably pilot the high-energy machine in the BattleBox, the team made the difficult decision to sit out the main tournament.

Why Is Tombstone Not on BattleBots in Recent Seasons? The Meta Shift

Beyond the physical injury, there is another technical factor: the sport's competitive landscape has changed dramatically. When BattleBots returned to television in 2015, horizontal spinners like Tombstone dominated because most opponents lacked the armor thickness and drive configurations to withstand massive lateral impacts.

Over the past several seasons, however, the competitive "meta" evolved heavily toward compact, four-wheel-drive vertical spinners with specialized modular front wedges (such as Bite Force, End Game, and Witch Doctor). These machines presented unique challenges for Tombstone:

• Deflective Wedges: Competitors began fielding hardened plow attachments specifically designed to deflect Tombstone's horizontal blade upward, forcing Tombstone to absorb its own kinetic energy.
• Recoil Damage: The sheer kinetic force of Tombstone's weapon delivers nearly equal force back into its own chassis. In Seasons 5 and 6, Tombstone suffered weapon chain failures, broken axle shafts, and internal component separation due to violent recoil.
• Exposed Wheels: As a two-wheel-drive machine, Tombstone depends entirely on its exposed foam-filled tires for mobility. Modern vertical spinners learned to ride up wedges and clip Tombstone's wheels, immobilizing the former champion.

Billings openly acknowledged that running the classic Tombstone frame against modern vertical spinners was becoming an uphill battle. Time away from the primary tournament gave Hardcore Robotics an opportunity to reconsider structural design elements and frame geometry.

Is Ray Billings Retiring from Combat Robotics?

Rumors quickly circulated online that Tombstone was permanently retiring. Fortunately for robot combat fans, that is not the case. Billings has repeatedly stated that he is not finished with BattleBots and has no plans to permanently hang up his transmitter.

Even while healing, Billings remained heavily involved in the combat robotics community:

• Guest Commentary and Appearances: Billings attended BattleBots tapings as an analyst and guest, maintaining his presence with the production team and interacting with fans.
• BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon: When BattleBots launched its daily live residency show, Destruct-A-Thon, in Las Vegas, Tombstone was chosen as one of the featured premier bots. While alternate drivers frequently operate the machine during the rigorous daily schedule, Billings has made guest appearances behind the controls.
• Exhibition Fights: Tombstone returned for select special exhibition bouts and spinoff events, including BattleBots: Face-Offs and regional events, proving that the machine still has plenty of fight left.

What Does Tombstone Need to Win Again?

For Tombstone to mount another championship run in a future full season of BattleBots, Hardcore Robotics faces several engineering hurdles. Horizontal spinners face steeper challenges than vertical spinners under the current arena rules and judging criteria, which reward continuous forward aggression and control.

To remain competitive against elite wedge-equipped bots, any future iteration of Tombstone must feature enhanced shock mounting for internal electronics, reinforced weapon drive hubs to prevent throwing chains or belts, and improved protection or redundancy around its drive system. Balancing these upgrades within the strict 250-pound weight limit is one of the toughest design puzzles in modern robotics.

The Lasting Legacy of the King of Kinetic Energy

While Tombstone's absence created a noticeable void in recent BattleBots tournaments, it also proved just how vital Ray Billings and his destructive machine are to the sport. Every modern front plow, wedge configuration, and reinforced chassis was built primarily to survive an encounter with Tombstone's spinning bar.

With his hand healed and development ongoing at the Hardcore Robotics shop, fans can rest assured that Tombstone's disappearance was a temporary hiatus rather than an end. When the iconic blue chassis and roaring steel bar finally make their full tournament return, opponents in the BattleBox will once again have to answer Billings' famous question: "Do you want some more?"