The Drop Zone

The Drop Zone
Robochicken (bottom-centre) is placed under the Drop Zone
Hazard Information
Type	Punishment
UK Series	6-7, Extreme 2
US Series	Season 2, Nickelodeon
Dutch Series	2
German Series	1

The Drop Zone was an arena hazard introduced in the UK and international series of Robot Wars filmed between 2002 and 2003. Immobilised robots would be placed on a black square with a yellow cross and red border placed roughly in the centre of the arena, close to the Pit, where heavy objects including ovens, washing machines, ocean buoys and assortments of balls would be dropped on them.

For assortments of smaller items including balls and scrap metal, a chequerplated container (occasionally referred to as the drop box) would be suspended from the ceiling along with larger single items. Items stored in the container would be dropped through a pair of large swinging doors hinged lengthways from the bottom.

History

The Drop Zone was first used in the second season of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors, with the first robot to have an object dropped onto it being Unibite 2.0 in the Heat C Final. It was used in all UK and international series filmed thereafter; the first usage of the Drop Zone in the UK Series came in Series 6, where it dropped a washing machine on Robochicken in the first round of Heat B. A thunderclap sound effect was used in the Drop Zone's appearances in US Season 2, Nickelodeon Robot Wars and UK Series 7, which played whenever an object was dropped.

The last competitor to have an object dropped onto it was Hard in the first round of the Third World Championship, filmed and broadcast at the very end of Series 7. When Robot Wars returned in 2016, the Drop Zone did not feature as part of the new arena, and has effectively been retired as an arena hazard.

The objects used for the Drop Zone varied in between series; for Nickelodeon Robot Wars, less serious objects such as scrap metal and sports equipment were used in an effort to maintain the series' appeal to younger audiences. Meanwhile, at one point during the Grand Final of German Robot Wars, previously-defeated competitor Golem was used as an item after it withdrew prior to the Losers Melee for fifth place.

"The newest hazard, keep a close watch on this area - anything might happen."

— Robot Wars: The Fifth Wars Official Souvenir Programme, mentioning the Drop Zone as a proposed hazard for the series

Prior to its official introduction, the Drop Zone square was featured on the arena floor during Robot Wars Extreme Series 1, Extreme Warriors Season 1, UK Series 5 and Dutch Robot Wars Series 1. Floor plans dated from June 2001 suggest that the hazard was originally planned to be introduced for those series, with souvenir programmes for Series 5 billing the Drop Zone as the 'newest hazard' for this incarnation of the arena. However, the square would not serve any specific purpose during this period.

Another proposal for the Drop Zone was for it to be activated by a button similar to the Pit and Disc of Doom/Floor Spinner bumpers. This could be pressed by competitors and House Robots in order to trigger it.^Citation? Though this idea was not implemented in televised series, a behind-the-scenes photo from Series 6 confirms that a third bumper button - painted dark grey - was briefly installed on the right-most side wall prior to filming. During Philippa Forrester's post-battle interview with the losing teams, the button itself can be seen in the background with weight symbols and the word 'DROP' on the top rim, likely suggesting that it was originally intended for use with the Drop Zone.

Instances

Robochicken hit with a washing machine

Series 6

Demolition Man gets a rubbish bin dropped on it

Panic Attack is hit with a washing machine, the only former UK champion ever to be put on the Drop Zone

Granny's Revenge 2 is flattened by an oven

A shower of balls lands on Major Tom

Battle	Immobilised Robot	Object Dropped	Notes
Heat B, Round 1	Robochicken	Washing machine	First instance of the hazard being used in the UK Series.
Heat F, Round 1	Demolition Man	Rubbish bin
Heat I, Heat Final	Panic Attack	Washing machine	The only former UK Champion to have an item dropped on it.
Heat K, Round 1	Granny's Revenge 2	Oven
Heat L, Round 1	Major Tom	Assortment of balls

Extreme 2

Niterider spikes the television sent by the Drop Zone

Mad Dog, after having balls dropped on it

Battle	Immobilised Robot	Object Dropped	Notes
Annihilator Round 4	Major Tom	Oven
Minor Meltdown, Round 1	Saw Point	Assortment of car parts
New Blood Heat A, Round 1	Niterider	White Television set (circa 1970s and 1980s)	Niterider's spike speared the white television set as it landed, which was eventually destroyed by Matilda.
New Blood Heat A, Round 2	Maximus	Oven
New Blood Heat B, Round 1	RT81
New Blood Heat B, Round 2	Hell's Teeth	Assortment of bowling balls
New Blood Heat C, Round 1	Mad Dog		The balls missed their target.
New Blood Heat C, Final	ICU
New Blood Heat D, Semi-Final	Fatal Traction & Cedric Slammer	Assortment of car parts	Cedric Slammer continued to attack Fatal Traction and got hit by the car parts as well.

Series 7

Tomahawk, badly damaged by the ocean buoy

Hard after having an oven smashed onto it

Hammerhead 2 is pounded by railway track

A washing machine lands on Thermidor 2

The Drop Zone misses its targets in the All-Stars

Battle	Immobilised Robot	Object Dropped	Notes
Heat C, Round 1	Tomahawk	Ocean buoy
Heat D, Round 1	The Alien
Heat G, Round 1	Cygnus X-1	Black Television set (circa 1980s-1990s)
Heat H, Round 2	Scraptosaur	Ocean buoy
Heat H, Round 2	Revolution 3	Black Television set
Heat J, Round 1	Cobra & Pinser
Heat K, Round 2	Hard	Oven
Heat M, Round 1	B.O.D.	Assortment of bowling balls
Heat M, Round 2	Mega Morg	Washing machine
Heat N, Round 2	R.O.C.S.
Heat O, Round 2	Hammerhead 2	Assortment of railway track pieces
Heat O, Heat Final	Iron-Awe 2.1	Oven
Semi-Final 2, Round 1	Thermidor 2	Washing machine	Only instance of the Drop Zone being used in a Semi-Final.
Featherweight Championship, Round 1	Mammoth	Oven	Only non-heavyweight competitor to have an item dropped on it.
All-Stars, Round 1	None	Washing machine	The washing machine was dropped in an attempt to stop the competitors' attacks on the House Robots. However, it did not hit any of the competitors.
Third World Championship, Battle 1	Hard	Assortment of Computer parts	Final time the Drop Zone was used.

Dutch Robot Wars: Series 2

Two barrels fall onto Tough as Nails

Battle	Immobilised Robot	Object Dropped	Notes
Heat A, Round 1	Project Two: Hex'em	Oven
Heat B, Round 1	The Black Beast
Heat C Round 1	Slamtilt	Bowling balls
Heat C, Round 2	Flepser	Assortment of wheels
Heat D, Round 1	Tough as Nails	Two Barrels	Tough as Nails regained mobility, and pushed one of the barrels around the arena, eventually being pitted alongside it.
Heat E, Round 1	Vortex Inducer	Oven
Grand Final, Round 1	Lizzard	Two Barrels

Extreme Warriors: Series 2

Unibite 2.0 becomes the Drop Zone's first ever victim

A washing machine falls on a beaten Night Stalker

Battle	Immobilised Robot	Object Dropped	Notes
Heat C, Heat Final	Unibite 2.0	Washing machine	First-ever use of the Drop Zone in any series.
Robot Rebellion, Round 1	Night Stalker
Robot Rebellion, Final	Snookums	Electronic Organ

Nickelodeon Robot Wars

Joker has scrap metal dropped on it

Battle	Immobilised Robot	Object Dropped	Notes
US Championship Bonus Battle	Phantasm	Sports equipment
Mayhem	Diskotek & Rigby	Assortment of balls
Vengeance	Joker	Scrap metal
House Robot Rebellion	Humdrum

German Robot Wars

Golem as a Drop Zone item

Battle	Immobilised Robot	Object Dropped	Notes
Heat A, Heat Final	Junkyard Queen	Spare parts
Heat A, Heat Final	Golem	Assortment of balls
Grand Final, Losers Melee	Junkyard Queen	Golem	Golem withdrew from the Losers Melee as it could not be repaired in time to fight; the Golem Crew allowed it to be used as an item. Golem largely missed its target.

Appearances in Merchandise

Throughout its appearances in the show's original run, the Drop Zone was immortalised in various pieces of Robot Wars merchandise. An accessory for the Minibots Arena playset based on the hazard was released, consisting of a frustrum-shaped assembly and an assortment of miniature items - including cones, tyres, balls and a washing machine. The Drop Zone assembly could be clipped onto the outer edges of the Arena playset, and the available items attached to the top, allowing the items to be 'dropped' in a similar manner to the real-life hazard (though it dropped in the middle of the arena, rather than over the "X" as in the show). The Drop Zone accessory was available as a stand-alone set (complete with all of the aforementioned items) and as a bundle with the Arena playset (with the balls only).

The Drop Zone as a separate accessory for the Minibot Arena set

The Minibot Arena set with the Drop Zone attachment

The Drop Zone is also seen in all versions of Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction, primarily as an active hazard in arenas based on the real-life Series 5-7 Arena:

• Robot Wars Arena/Extreme Destruction (GBA) (arena referred to in-game as the Studio)
• Robot Wars Arena/Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction (PC/Xbox) (arena referred to in-game as the Robot Wars TV Studio)

In the Game Boy Advance version, it operates exclusively in 'Tournament' mode, and as in real life drops objects onto defeated robots once they have been placed onto the square by a House Robot. Items dropped in the Game Boy Advance version include a microwave, a toaster, a PC computer tower, a washing machine, a silver TV set, an electronic organ, a grand piano and a grandfather clock. The Drop Zone square also appears in the other fictional arenas available in the game, and as one of the selectable hazards in the Arena Editor, although the hazard itself remains inactive in the former.

In the PC and Xbox versions, items are dropped on mobile robots if they drive over and stay on the cross for a certain length of time. Additionally, multiple items can be dropped in one fight, including a washing machine, a safe, an anvil, a barrel which can explode if attacked, and a grand piano.

The Drop Zone square in 'Melting Pot', a fictional arena in Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction (GBA)

The Drop Zone square (behind Tractor) in Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction (PC/Xbox)

Trivia

The Drop Zone square during a battle in Extreme 1

• Major Tom, Hard and Junkyard Queen were the only robots to be hit twice with a Drop Zone item.
• In Series 7, Zorro managed to escape the Drop Zone by driving away, having been dropped on the cross after being counted out.
• The Drop Zone was used in every episode of the Extreme 2 New Blood Championship except the Grand Final.
• The Drop Zone was used in every episode of Dutch Series 2.
• The barrels dropped in Dutch Series 2 were the same used in the Pinball Trial of Series 3 and 4.
• During Extreme 1 and Extreme Warriors Season 1, the Drop Zone square was next to the Pit, and closer to the Pit release button. Also in Series 5, the square was applied in a vertical orientation in some battles.
• In the Robot Wars: The Sixth Wars Official Souvenir Programme, eggs are listed as a Drop Zone item. Whether or not this was an idea that was later abandoned or was included for humour is unknown.
  • While it's unknown what the correct statement is, eggs would've caused more severe damage to robots as opposed to the heavy items. Due to the fragility and consistency of said item, reminents of it would likely have seeped through gaps in robot bodyworks and got onto electronics, which would've led to more expensive repairs.