cubicmetre vs Wemmbu
Is the Orbital Strike Cannon real?
Updated
Yes, the Orbital Strike Cannon is real. cubicmetre built a working one from survival redstone and TNT in vanilla Java Edition.
The version most people saw first is a different thing. On Wemmbu's Unstable SMP, players call in strikes by breaking a fishing rod. That version runs on server scripts (Skript or a datapack) and was staged for the story. cubicmetre debunked it on 14 May 2026.
Side by side
| Feature | cubicmetre (vanilla) | Wemmbu / Unstable SMP |
|---|---|---|
| Built with | Survival redstone and TNT | Server scripts or a datapack simulation |
| Aiming | Coordinates entered at a terminal | Look at the target and break a fishing rod |
| Fishing rod | One active bobber, a single trigger | A chest of rods, one per cannon (impossible in vanilla) |
| Speed | Real load and flight time | Instant (local tick-speed changes in the story) |
Want the details of the real one? Read how the cannon works. Want the SMP-style version in your own world? The mods and datapacks list includes a datapack named after it.
Watch both sides
cubicmetre (real)
Wiki pages
Questions people ask
Is the Wemmbu Orbital Strike Cannon real?
Not as vanilla redstone. The Unstable SMP version runs on server scripts (Skript or a datapack) and was staged for the story. cubicmetre debunked it on 14 May 2026.
Can you fire a real Orbital Strike Cannon with a fishing rod?
Yes, but only as one trigger. A fishing rod can have one active bobber, so it can work as a single remote trigger. A chest of rods with one rod per cannon, as shown on the Unstable SMP, isn't possible in vanilla.
Who made the real Orbital Strike Cannon?
The technical YouTuber cubicmetre built it in vanilla Java Edition, across versions Mk.1 to Mk.6 plus a Minimal Signature variant.
Why is the SMP version so much faster?
The real cannon has real load and flight time. In the Unstable SMP story, strikes land instantly, explained in the story as local tick-speed changes.