WPI’s FIRST Open Combat Event!

This weekend, I had the opportunity to head up to Worcester Polytechnic Institute and attend their first-ever FIRST Open Combat Event! The event featured both 1lb plastic antweight robots and the 3lb beetleweight class. In total, there were about 40 robots across the two divisions (24 plants and 27 beetles), and the turnout included several heavy hitters, such as Coldsnap and the newest Golden Dumpster champion, The Wall Pt. 2.

Fights kicked off around 10:30 a.m. and alternated between plant and beetle matches throughout the day, with the final bout wrapping up around 7:30 p.m. The plants ran a standard double-elimination bracket, while the beetles competed in a round-robin format that fed into a single-elimination tournament for all robots finishing 2–0 or 2–1.

WPI reserved 10 spots in each class for their club members and teammates and had around 17 additional volunteers helping run the event. Between their own strong competitors like Comet and some truly adorable builds like Touch Grass, WPI really showed up and showed out, putting on an overall fantastic show. They overcame several last-minute hurdles, but you never would have known it from how smoothly the day ran.

The pits had plenty of space, and the fights took place in a large gym located in an adjacent connected area. I had the absolute pleasure of calling fights all day and had an amazing time with each of my rotating co-commentators. Along the way, I learned about WPI’s cooking club, their semester-long plant competitions, and how accessible they’ve made entry into the sport.

Borrowed Time dominated the winner’s bracket, going 6–0 and taking home first place. A little purple drum called Synthwave dropped into the lower bracket after round three and fought their way back, eventually meeting Borrowed Time in the grand finals. Funky Kong, a shuffling plant, secured third place after a brutal back-and-forth with Chef ‘Pei. Meanwhile, the beetle division was stacked with heavy hitters, making it hard to choose standout matches. The finals came down to Coldsnap versus The Wall, with The Wall emerging as the grand champion. Coldsnap took second place and also earned the award for Most Destructive Robot. Termination Shock claimed third, with Comet rounding out the top four.

Additional fun awards included Floor Destroyer (awarded to Division), Best Aesthetic (fittingly given to Melon Baller), and Most Chaotic, which went to the new plant Frost Fury from the same family as Sir Spinny and Sir Slicey. Overall, this was a wonderful event, and I’m incredibly grateful to the students and club members at WPI for allowing me to be part of it!

Podium: (3lb)

• 🥇 1st: The Wall

• 🥈 2nd: Cold Snap

• 🥉 3rd: Termination Shock

Podium: (Plant)

• 🥇 1st: Borrowed Time

• 🥈 2nd: Synthwave

• 🥉 3rd: Funky Kong

Awards & Superlatives

Beyond the bracket winners, the event recognized specific achievements in engineering and destruction:

• Most Chaotic: Frost Fury

• Most Aesthetic: Melon Baller – recognized for its incredible "scratch-and-sniff" theme and clean paint job.

• Floor Destroyer : Division