Radio Free Cybertron looks back at 2022 with the annual RFC Awards, a predictions scorecard and a month-by-month news recap. Holiday Optimus Prime takes best Leader class and up, Jhiaxus sweeps best Voyager, and Legacy Motormaster edges out HasLab Victory Saber for toy of the year. The HasLab Deathsaurus campaign wins biggest news item, while Studio Series 86 Sludge lands the Sad Trombone Award. Don defends his predictions title for a second straight year.
The 2022 RFC Awards
Each host picks a favorite in every category, and Brian casts the last vote. Rob is out this week, so Brian reads his picks.
Best Leader Class and Up: Holiday Optimus Prime
Chris picks Masterpiece Crosscut for its clean silver deco on a Masterpiece mold he can actually enjoy handling. Matt picks Legacy Motormaster for its cartoon accuracy and its trailer, which makes a great base for Menasor. Rob picks HasLab Victory Saber, and Diecast picks Shattered Glass Jetfire. Don and Brian both pick Holiday Optimus Prime, a surprise that went from reveal to in-hand in about a month. Brian says its perfectly sized box made his heart grow three sizes.
Best Generations Selects Release: Black Zarak
Chris, Matt, Rob and Don all pick Black Zarak. Chris praises Hasbro for retooling a Titan into a notoriously fragile Masterforce favorite for a limited online release. Matt says it is the only way he will ever own a Black Zarak. Diecast picked G2 Ramjet before learning it came out in 2021, so he switches to Black Zarak too. Selects Cyclonus is the runner-up for its color, despite its shoulder QC issues.
Best Voyager: Jhiaxus
The vote is unanimous. Chris calls Jhiaxus a long-overdue, comic-accurate G2 figure and the most satisfying Voyager of his year. Don says it looks like it clawed its way out of the comic page. Matt keeps his on Coronation Starscream’s throne.
Best Deluxe: Velocitron Cosmos
Chris and Rob pick Tarantulas, which Chris calls a fantastic update with zero drawbacks. Matt and Don pick the hard-to-find Velocitron Cosmos, which Don says looks and feels exactly like the character. Diecast picks Studio Series Bumblebee movie Brawn. Brian breaks the tie for Cosmos.
Best Engineering: Velocitron Cosmos
Chris picks Cosmos for squeezing a complete Deluxe out of a budget of just three new tools. Matt picks Dragstrip, whose arms fold above the head to form the car’s front end. Rob picks Victory Saber, and Don picks Motormaster for compressing into Menasor’s torso without much kibble. Diecast’s ballot accidentally said G2 Ramjet again, but he meant Motormaster. Brian sides with Chris, so Cosmos wins.
Best Toy of the Year: Legacy Motormaster
Chris picks the Wreck ‘N Rule Collection Twin Twist, the toy that gave him the most fun for the money. Matt and Diecast pick Motormaster, which Diecast calls the best Hasbro combiner alongside Combiner Wars Devastator. Rob and Don pick Victory Saber for its presentation and box. Brian votes for Holiday Optimus Prime, leaving a tie, and declares Motormaster the winner as a retail release.
The Sad Trombone Award: Studio Series 86 Sludge
Chris picks Victory Saber, citing rampant QC problems and a crowdfunded toy that underdelivered. Matt picks Legacy Wildrider for its uninspired transformation, which will repeat on Breakdown. Rob picks Studio Series 86 Arcee, and Diecast picks Kingdom Arcee. Don picks Studio Series 86 Sludge, his first-ever Transformer, for its falling wings and toes that will not fold. Brian breaks the tie for Sludge, though his heartfelt pick is MPG-01 Trainbot Shouki.
Biggest News Item: HasLab Deathsaurus
Chris picks the Hasbro designers’ Instagram accounts, which share rare behind-the-scenes looks and credit the TakaraTomy side. Rob picks IDW losing the Transformers license after 18 years. Diecast picks the LEGO Optimus Prime, since Hasbro long treated LEGO as a rival. Matt, Don and Brian pick HasLab Deathsaurus, which funded, unlocked every tier and outsold Victory Saber.
2022 Predictions Scorecard
Rob correctly called price increases but missed on a G1 Titan Metroplex HasLab. Brian went zero for three, including a Masterpiece Jetfire at 60,000 yen and a G2-themed Pulse repaint line. Chris called price increases plus collectors claiming they would quit but buying anyway. His canceled Trainbots and Masterpiece Stepper calls missed. Diecast predicted a family-friendly cartoon after EarthSpark was already announced, and his Titan Ark redeco did not happen. Don’s Commander class Deathsaurus counts thanks to the HasLab. Matt correctly called a new HasLab before Star Saber shipped. Don wins for the second straight year.
2022 News Recap
January to March
Chris Cocks became Hasbro’s CEO after Brian Goldner stepped down and later passed away. [Source: License Global] IDW announced it would lose the Transformers license after 18 years. [Source: The Beat] Legacy Voyagers arrived in plastic-free packaging, and MPG-02 Getsuei was revealed. Brian loved Peter Cullen’s Transformers sleep stories on the Calm app. Fan First Friday brought Bumblebee movie toys, Studio Series 86 Junkheap and Sludge, and first looks at EarthSpark and BotBots. A LEGO Transformers set was rumored, and Brian had heard about it early through a friend’s family member at LEGO. [Source: Brick Fanatics] March brought the Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover Megatron tank, Transformers NFTs and the first US sighting of Legacy Bulkhead.
April to June
Mark Maher shared concept models for Kingdom Cheetor, built partly from a Power of the Primes Moonracer. Legacy wave 2 revealed Tarantulas, Motormaster and Jhiaxus, and Titan class Metroplex got a proper reveal. May brought Studio Series Thundercracker, Age of Extinction Galvatron, MP-56 Trailbreaker, the Wreck ‘N Rule Collection and Studio Series 86 Arcee. A Walmart exclusive Scourge, or Black Convoy, leaked. In June, MP Skyfire, MPG-03 and the Alpha Strike Bumblebee crossover were announced. Motormaster turned up in Australia, and the transforming Optimus Primal mask delighted Brian. Tonkanator remains a crew favorite.
July to September
Velocitron wave 2 revealed Crasher. SDCC brought Legacy and EarthSpark reveals plus Victory Saber, though the crew felt Hasbro was underprepared. Canon announced an Optimus Prime camera, then a Reflector. Legacy Pointblank and Dead End got full reveals. Hasbro’s stock fell, and the company weighed restructuring its entertainment assets and toy distribution. September brought Super7 ReAction G2 Grimlock and toy Galvatron teases, and EarthSpark’s premiere date.
October to December
The second Velocitron Leader was revealed as Galaxy Shuttle, just as Don once predicted from the Astrotrain mold. Hasbro renewed its Paramount partnership for Transformers and G.I. Joe. Walmart Collector Con brought Retro Starscream and Hot Rod in cartoon colors, and Hasbro’s poor earnings led to layoffs. Robosen announced a smaller Elite Optimus Prime. In November the Deathsaurus HasLab launched, Hasbro sold Boulder Media, and Victory Saber arrived with QC problems. December brought Studio Series 100 Bumblebee, Animated Prowl, Motorcycle Junkion and a cartoon-colored G1 Hound.