Do I see a hint of a network-like effect in the results?

Simulate my opponent and figure out if defections will be punished; if so, Cooperate, and otherwise, defect. This allows bots following this strategy to always cooperate with each other, consistently providing them with a large number of points in every round, ensuring that they outcompete backstabbing or other aggressive strategies.

If I understand this, then the more bots that have this "cooperate unless defection is unpunished" strategy, the better the payoff for having that strategy. So in an evolutionary system, once a few bots get this strategy, it will be selected for with increasing selection pressure in subsequent generations.

My understanding of these tournaments is on the hairy edge of not existing, but if I have understood this correctly then this seems like a strong result explaining how a strategy might win in an evolutionary arms-race.