Leaked 2026 listings for Studio Series and Age of the Primes put Leader Big Convoy, Generations Select G2 Swoop and Sludge, and an 86 Kranix on the radar. New U.S. tariffs on Vietnam have Brian warning of Transformers price hikes near 50 percent. The crew picks apart the greatest-hits design of MPG-17 Optimus Prime Style Gen and gawks at the Robosen Flagship Bumblebee. In What We Got This Week, Chris wrestles with Solus Prime, Matt completes a knockoff Metrotitan, and Brian fills G1 holes with Scourge and a boxed Groundshaker.
News
New Tariffs on Vietnam Point to Higher Transformers Prices
Brian kept politics out of it but flagged the new tariffs, including 46 percent on goods from Vietnam. He expects Transformers prices to climb roughly 50 percent, which would push a $25 deluxe to about $37 or $38. His tip for protecting your wallet is collecting vintage, which is what he is doing as he finishes his G1 collection. [Source: Seibertron]
Masterpiece MPG-17 Optimus Prime Style Gen Stock Images
New stock photos show MPG-17 Optimus Prime, priced at 24,000 yen, or about $160. No trailer has been announced, though the crew assumes one will follow. It is closest to MP-10, but the panel saw pieces of Earthrise Optimus Prime and Studio Series 38 Optimus Prime in it. Don was reminded of Make Toys Cross Dimension Striker Manus, while others suggested Hybrid Style Convoy, Metal Force Convoy and Studio Ox. Diecast thinks it reads more third party than official. The shoulder cannon nods to Diaclone art, the blade hands look borrowed from Rise of the Beasts, and it carries the Siege axe. The crew called it a greatest-hits Optimus Prime and would like to see the Style Gen idea applied to Megatron or Soundwave. One host is done with Masterpiece, and this doesn’t change that. Studio Series 86 Optimus Prime remains the last G1-style Optimus Prime another host feels the need to own. [Source: TFW2005]
Robosen Flagship G1 Bumblebee Revealed
Robosen’s Flagship Bumblebee came in well above one host’s guess of around $700, at roughly $950 on sale. Influencer videos posted on day one show it next to people, and it is much bigger than expected. It comes with a medallion, which led to jokes about buying every one if it were an ounce of gold. Diecast still isn’t buying. [Source: TFW2005]
2026 Studio Series Listings Leak
One host reminded listeners that leaked plans can change, since last year’s listings included a Deluxe Sureshot that never shipped. The Studio Series list includes Transformers One Orion Pax, The Last Knight Barricade, and 86 Windcharger, Sunstreaker, Kranix and Cliffjumper. The crew expects Cliffjumper to retool 86 Bumblebee, and hopes Kranix borrows his vehicle mode from the comic. Transformers One Thundercracker and Airachnid are deluxes, though the crew thinks Airachnid deserves a Voyager. Voyagers include 86 Skywarp, Thundercracker and Shockwave, plus Transformers One Alpha Trion. Leaders include a new 86 Soundwave, an 86 Astrotrain that may be a heavy Siege retool, and The Last Knight Nemesis Prime. A movie anniversary capsule lists Hound, Scourge, Hot Rod and Optimus Prime, which one host expects to be straight reissues. [Source: TFW2005]
2026 Age of the Primes Listings Leak
Age of the Primes deluxes include Quintus Prime, Sureshot, Blast Off, Quickstrike, Smokescreen, Powerglide, Swerve, Animated Ratchet and Prime Cliffjumper. One host has zero faith in a new Quickstrike, and the crew hopes Smokescreen is the Earthrise mold in sturdier plastic. Voyagers include Amalgamous Prime, Brawl, Animated Wreck-Gar and Armada Sideways, which Chris has wanted since 2009. Leader Big Convoy made Brian check whether it was an April Fools’ joke, and the crew is already dreaming of Ultra Mammoth and Nemesis Convoy redecos. Leader Universe Razorclaw is on the list too. Don read the big one, a Generations Select G2 Swoop and Sludge. He fears it will be Power of the Primes repaints, but one host desperately wants green Swoop. [Source: TFW2005]
TakaraTomy TL-90 Stunticon Menasor Gift Set Packaging Revealed
TakaraTomy’s release of the Legacy Menasor box set uses the same toys as Hasbro’s set in restyled, windowless packaging. The crew loves the box, and one host joked about setting it as desktop wallpaper to save money. The only listing still orderable was $270 on Amazon Japan. The yellow stripe recalls the original Takara Stunticons box set. The crew would happily buy slipcover boxes if TakaraTomy does the same for Bruticus and other combiners. [Source: TFW2005]
Dramatic Capture Series Triple Takeover In-Hand Images
New photos landed for MPG-12 Shattered Glass Optimus Prime, the Karakuri Statue Optimus Prime, T-Spark 40th Selection Bumblebee and the Triple Takeover set. Triple Takeover drew the most praise for its brighter decos. Starscream is the Coronation retool, and its face and eyes finally show in normal light. One host said Astrotrain and Blitzwing are almost worth the price of the set, though it means yet another Starscream. [Source: TFW2005]
Pop Mart Mega Space Molly Optimus Prime
Nobody on the panel knew what a Mega Space Molly was, or why one is now Optimus Prime. The 400 percent version costs $309, and the 1000 percent version is $1,199.90. The bigger one stands taller than Fortress Maximus but still falls short of Unicron. [Source: TFW2005]
What We Got This Week
Chris
Chris got Rise of the Beasts Jungle Mission Cheetor for $6 shipped after store reward points. It is the updated Beast Wars Cheetor he wanted from Universe 2009, though its bronze plastic worries him. Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Sharkticon Megatron cost about $30 loose, but a previous owner had painted over its pink parts in purple. He found Transformers One Blokees at Walmart for $5 each and pulled Hound and a D-16. Age of the Primes Solus Prime has a great, colorful robot mode, but the right ankle’s malformed mushroom peg pops out every time. Its vehicle mode is missing a back half, so it will stay in robot mode. Studio Series Scrapper is solid and simple, with a clever clip that steadies Devastator’s leg, but he would rather pay $25 than $35.
Diecast
Diecast also got Studio Series Scrapper and transformed it without instructions. He loves the vehicle panels that hide the fists and calls the leg transformation satisfying.
Don
Don used a sale and a pricing discrepancy to get Red Alert and Wheeljack for about $33 with tax. He also noticed that Walmart’s Ironhide and Ratchet boxes are packed differently. An eBay seller’s sale got him Ironhide and Age of Extinction Optimus Prime for about $75, after a review sold him on the transformation.
Matt
Walmart shipped Matt Gears in classic packaging, though he wishes the chest piece were installed in the box. He also got a knockoff Metrotitan and says the quality is good for a KO, with strong springs and sturdy vinyl stickers. A bonus Micromaster was stashed in the box, and he ordered the rest from another seller to complete the set.
John
John got Studio Series Scrapper, the Aerialbots, Waspinator, Red Alert, Prima Prime and Solus Prime. Next to his Unite Warriors Superion, he noticed the new Aerialbots are pure two-mode figures with no combiner compromises. He still finds their style an odd fit beside the animation-styled Studio Series Constructicons. Solus Prime is floppy but interesting, and Prima Prime is boring.
Brian
Brian picked up Red Alert, then found EarthSpark Megatron for $5 and Quintesson High Commander for $7 on Walmart clearance. Sean Hamilton made him a custom Weaponizer Optimus Primal with a flesh-toned head, named Rob Springer. At Toylanta, he bought a G1 Scourge, one of the last 1986 toys he was missing, and a boxed Groundshaker Micromaster base.