Almost two years have passed since MegaBots Inc. challenged Suidobashi Heavy Industry to what was billed as the world's first giant robot fight. The silence from both camps worried fans, and many assumed the whole affair had fizzled out as just another elaborate publicity stunt. But yesterday, MegaBots surprised everyone with a YouTube video that, besides showcasing the development of the MegaBots Mk. III, revealed August 2017 as the month the duel will take place.
Pacific Rim 2 is set for February 2018, and I still hold out hope that someone will do a proper reboot of Robot Jox, though if there are no solid ideas, it's better to leave the film as is. There is a real craving for giant robot fights, and traditional entertainment isn't satisfying it (sorry Michael Bay and your Transformers saga, but that's how it is). Back in July 2015, we covered the challenge from MegaBots to Suidobashi Heavy Industry. The plan was to pit their Mk. II against the Japanese Kuratas in an epic battle, but the organizers hit several snags, starting with the withdrawal of the original venue.
Almost two years later, we have news. MegaBots confirmed the duel is still on, and through their short video (along with other videos on their channel) we can see the work done on the Mk. III, which will make a visit to San Francisco in May. The Mk. III weighs 12 tons. To jog your memory, the MegaBots Mk. II weighed 5.44 tons and stood 4.5 meters tall. The Kuratas is shorter and lighter (4 meters, 4.49 tons), but I imagine the Japanese team is also applying their own optimizations to the robot. The new venue remains a mystery. MegaBots said they'll keep it secret to ensure there are no more delays, and as for the date, the official word is August 2017.
Four months! If everything goes well, in four months we'll see these two metal titans pummeling each other. It's not hard to predict a battle more focused on strength than speed. Personally... I don't care. I want it to happen.
