Sparks Fly on Valentine's Day: RABID's Cupid Carnage 2026 Recap

February 16, 2026 — While most couples were sitting down for candlelight dinners this past Valentine’s Day, the lower level of Regency Mall in Richmond, Virginia, was lit up by a different kind of spark. RABID (Richmond Area Bot Instigated Destruction) hosted its annual "Cupid Carnage," a free, all-ages robot combat tournament that turned the holiday of love into a celebration of kinetic energy and flying shrapnel.

Held on Saturday, February 14, 2026, the event featured three distinct weight classes: Fairyweight (150g), Plastic Antweight (1lb), and Full Combat Antweight (1lb). With a double-elimination bracket format, the action was relentless, and the mall crowd was treated to some of the most destructive fights we've seen on the local circuit.

Here is the breakdown of the carnage.

Fairyweights: Mega Dominance

The 150g Fairyweight class proved that size definitely doesn't equal safety. The bracket was a gauntlet, but one robot stood above the rest: Mega.

Mega tore through the winner's bracket to secure its spot in the Grand Final. Meeting them there was Overthrow, a resilient flipper (and notably a loaner bot from sponsor Turnabot) that had fought its way into second place. The third-place finisher, Squeezy, put up a valiant effort with its grab-and-lift strategy but ultimately fell to Overthrow in the loser's bracket final.

In the Grand Final, Mega left no doubt who was the champion. In a brutal display of power, Mega systematically dismantled Overthrow, ripping off wheels and chunks of the sled until the tap-out came. A well-deserved gold for the red team!

Podium:

• 🥇 1st: Mega

• 🥈 2nd: Overthrow

• 🥉 3rd: Squeezy

Full Combat Antweights: Saws and Spinners

The 1lb Full Combat class brought the heavy hitters and the high-voltage drama. The story of the bracket was the rise of the overhead saws. Doom Slug and Slap Chop both brought vicious overhead cutting weapons that rained sparks throughout the day.

Slap Chop secured the first spot in the Grand Final by defeating Doom Slug in the Winners Bracket Final—a match filled with grinding sparks that had the crowd roaring. Doom Slug dropped to the loser's bracket to face Banana Blitz, a vertical spinner that had been tearing its way back into contention.

In the Losers Final, Banana Blitz managed to disable Doom Slug, taking a wheel off and forcing a count-out to secure a spot in the Grand Final against Slap Chop.

Podium:

• 🥇 1st: Banana Blitz

• 🥈 2nd: Slap Chop

• 🥉 3rd: Doom Slug

Plastic Antweights: Lights Out in Richmond

The Plastic Antweight class (where robots must be mostly 3D printed) often surprises spectators with its durability, but this time, it was the sheer chaos that stole the show.

The "Fight of the Night" honors undoubtedly go to the Winners Bracket Final between Viewfinder and Train Wreck. The commentators described it as "pure chaos" and "never-ending violence." The two bots traded massive hits that sent them ricocheting off the ceiling and walls. The impact was so intense that they literally knocked out the arena lights, plunging the box into semi-darkness amidst the debris! Viewfinder emerged victorious after Train Wreck tapped out, securing its place in the Grand Final.

Podium:

• 🥇 1st: Trainwreck

• 🥈 2nd: View Finder

• 🥉 3rd: Thermodynamix

Other standouts included Thermodynamics, which fought a grueling path through the losers bracket, eliminating tough competitors like Peekaboo Jr. and Next of Kin to face Outpost 31.

Fun Highlight: The event concluded the plastic festivities with a Plastic Rumble, featuring a "Plastic Beetleweight" (a massive 3lb robot) entering the arena to terrorize the smaller 1lb ants. It was a hilarious and destructive way to cap off the bracket.

A Date to Remember

RABID RVA proved once again that robot combat is the perfect community event. By hosting it in a high-traffic area like Regency Mall, they introduced hundreds of new eyes to the sport. Whether you were there for the engineering, the destruction, or just a unique Valentine's date, Cupid Carnage delivered.

A huge shoutout to the organizers, the "Rabbit Officers," and sponsors like Turnabot for keeping the bots running and the arena safe. We can’t wait for the next one!