Toy Fair 2019 takes over the show, led by Ectotron, a Voyager-size Transformers and Ghostbusters mashup that turns into the Ecto-1. Diecast reports from the Hasbro event on Siege Omega Supreme and Commander Class Jetfire, and Hasbro Pulse relaunches as a store taking preorders. Generations Selects Combat Megatron, a 35th anniversary display and new Cyberverse Armor Up toys round out the show. Netflix also announces a War for Cybertron trilogy animated series for 2020.
News
Hasbro Pulse Returns as a Hasbro Retail Site
Hasbro Pulse relaunched as Hasbro’s own online store, and much of the Toy Fair lineup went up for preorder there on Friday morning. Early confusion over whether Pulse charged up front has been settled. Diecast says a Pulse representative at Toy Fair confirmed customers pay when items ship. Diecast estimates his weekend total at $900 across roughly eight orders, which the crew does not let go. [Source: TFormers]
Toy Fair 2019: Hasbro Transformers Showroom
Diecast attended the Hasbro event and says Siege Titan Class Omega Supreme looks better in person than in early photos. The tank is not motorized, but grooves keep it on the track, which is wide enough for two Micromasters. The rocket is very tall. Commander Class Jetfire lets a Titan Master ride in the cockpit, and Deluxes can hang from handles underneath, an idea John Warden credits to his G.I. Joe work. Jetfire’s hands retract to reveal 5mm ports. Hasbro says the Commander Class will continue beyond Jetfire. The showroom also had test shots of Springer, Mirage and Impactor, plus a surprise Studio Series KSI Boss. [Source: TFormers]
Diecast asked a Hasbro Pulse representative and Ben Montano about HasLab after the layoffs and the cancelled HasCon. Both told him HasLab is not dead. One host notes that “not dead” is not a ringing endorsement. One host still hopes for a HasLab Unicron. [Source: TFormers]
Toy Fair 2019: New Cyberverse Toys
Cyberverse adds a Warrior Class Gnaw, and Matt plans to start with one before building a Sharkticon army. It looks like a scaled-up take on the Legends Gnaw, closer to the G1 toy. New Armor Up figures come at $15, $25 and $50, with vehicles that break apart into armor. The $50 Optimus Prime comes with an Ark that becomes power armor. The crew also likes the $15 Sky-Byte and a tiny Scraplet, a creature from the Marvel comic. [Source: TFormers]
Ectotron: The Transformers and Ghostbusters Ecto-1
Ectotron is a Voyager-size Ecto-1 in G1-style packaging, built on the engineering of Combiner Wars Hot Spot and Onslaught. It has no combiner ports, which Matt calls a crime. It comes with a tiny Slimer that plugs into a 5mm port, and its gun works as a proton pack. One host expected something bigger than a $40 Voyager. The crew pitches third-party PKE meter and trap accessories and an SDCC two-pack with a ghost Starscream. [Source: TFormers]
35th Anniversary Line: Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bluestreak and Soundblaster
A display before the presentation showed 35th anniversary packaging for Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bluestreak and Soundblaster. Only Soundblaster was a physical sample. The cardboard art looks cel-shaded, but the crew is unsure the toys will be. One host guesses they are Siege Voyagers without battle damage. Soundblaster does seem to have an extended chest compartment. [Source: TFormers]
Super7 is making G1 Transformers ReAction figures. The crew likes ReAction for brands without real action figures, but not for Transformers. One host might still buy a $15 animation-model Optimus Prime. [Source: TFormers]
Generations Selects Combat Megatron and Decepticon Red Wing
Generations Selects Combat Megatron is a G2-style redeco with a new head sculpt. Rob disliked it at first but it grew on him, and he ordered it right before the show. Its listing says it includes a “Decepticon Red Wing” figure. Red Wing was a Fun Publications seeker that never got a toy before Fun Publications lost the license. One host would rather have Red Wing than another Sunstorm. [Source: TFormers]
Siege Listings: Leader Astrotrain, Deluxe Barricade and Voyager Apeface
Retailer listings point to Leader Astrotrain, Deluxe Barricade and Voyager Apeface. The crew hopes Apeface is a Headmaster, since John Warden has said old gimmicks can return. They expect Barricade to be a G1-style character rather than the movie version, possibly from the Mirage mold. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy Coming to Netflix
Netflix announced a War for Cybertron trilogy animated series for 2020, animated by Polygon Pictures with Rooster Teeth involved. The crew is wary, since it shares a showrunner with Combiner Wars. One host thinks Netflix money could make it good, and another expects it to fill Voltron’s slot. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Online: Certain Affinity Working on a Third-Person Shooter
Certain Affinity is working on a Transformers third-person shooter. Given the studio’s history, the crew expects a console game rather than a phone game. [Source: TFormers]
Siege Wave 2 Voyagers Soundwave and Starscream In Hand
In-hand photos show heavy battle damage on both. One host says Starscream looks like his hyper-detailed Underbase Saga comic look. Several hosts love Soundwave, and one admits Soundwave may be his favorite Transformer. [Source: TFormers]
BotBots Series 2 Blind Pack Identification Guide
A full guide to BotBots Series 2 blind packs is out. The crew laughs at one named Turd, and decides Brian needs Hammer, a ham whose bone becomes a sword. [Source: TFormers]
Bumblebee Movie Home Release Dates
Bumblebee arrives on digital on March 19 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on April 2. [Source: TFormers]
What’s on TFormers
John Warden Shows Off Omega Supreme and Jetfire
Rob highlights a video of John Warden demonstrating both Siege Titans. Jetfire has a removable computer module in the cockpit that swaps for a Titan Master. Omega Supreme’s ramps connect to other Omegas and to Titans Return base connectors, so Fortress Maximus and Trypticon can link up. One host hopes TakaraTomy makes a blue Guardian Robot version. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Brian
Brian picked up two Titans Return Infernos from Chris to customize with Toyhax labels. He also got Siege Ultra Magnus and Shockwave, a replacement Armada Optimus Prime keychain and Cyberverse Optimus Prime with trailer. At Ollie’s he found an unpriced Cyberverse Optimus Prime and paid $8.
Diecast
Diecast got a Siege Voyager Optimus Prime and a Rise of the Combiners trading card game booster pack in his Toy Fair goodie bag. Arrivals include Studio Series Rampage, Sideswipe and World War II Bumblebee, and two cassettes from AJ’s Toy Chest. He also got Siege Ultra Magnus from Hasbro Pulse, Jetfire, the darker Studio Series Megatron at $39.99 and Siege Leader Shockwave.
Don
Don got Studio Series World War II Bumblebee and Sideswipe from Amazon, plus a second Sideswipe because he loves the character. He impulse-bought Studio Series Barricade and is unsure he will keep it. He finally opened Siege Ultra Magnus. He loves the vehicle mode and its Robots in Disguise cues, but calls the instructions bad.
Matt
Matt bought Siege Megatron and likes it once the battle damage paint comes off with alcohol and many Q-tips. He also got Siege Ultra Magnus, which he calls fine but skippable if you own Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus. Both had quality control problems: a loose foot, a stress-marked panel and a scuffed rocket launcher.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.