Transformers TCG brought to an end, less than two years after its release
Past its Prime.
The Transformers Trading Card Game has been brought to an end less than two years after it launched, with the latest Titan Masters Attack expansion released in May now the TCG’s final set.
Based on the popular toys and animated series, the Transformers TCG originally launched in September 2018. Created by Magic: The Gathering publisher Wizards of the Coast - which is owned by Transformers maker Hasbro - the Transformers TCG featured similar gameplay as players battled their opposing Autobot and Decepticon characters, boosting their power with upgrade cards.
In keeping with the franchise’s central hook, the oversized character cards could be ‘transformed’ from their bot mode to alt mode (in other words, vehicles such as cars and planes) by being flipped over, enabling different abilities and strategies.
The initial launch - which included an Autobots starter set and randomised booster packs including one character card and seven battle cards - was followed in late 2018 by the Metroplex expansion, which introduced the city-sized robot with an even bigger card.
The TCG’s second wave released in spring 2019 included expansion Rise of the Combiners, introducing the titular combiner robots that could form together into a single powerful character. This included characters such as Optimus Maximus, Predaking and the Constructicon Devastator, represented by a dedicated starter set. A separate starter set pitted Bumblee against Decepticon leader Megatron.
A third wave, also released last year, tied into the War for Cybertron line of figures, comic books and upcoming Netflix series due to release in 2020. The War for Cybertron: Siege I set included Micro Master Transformers that were smaller than the typical oversized character cards, while Siege II - representing the game’s fourth wave of products - added a third faction, Mercenaries.
Earlier this year, the card game saw the release of its fifth wave, led by the Titan Masters Attack set. Based on the Titans Return range of toys, the expansion included body and head cards that could be mixed and matched to create different characters. Delayed from a planned release in April to May 29th as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Titan Masters Attack has now been confirmed by Hasbro the final release for Transformers TCG, effectively bringing the game to an end.
Hasbro cited the impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic as one factor in the game’s cancellation, alongside its failure to “meet the expectations of the broader fan base to engage further with the brand”.
“While the retailer and player community continued to grow, our product offerings didn’t,” it added in its announcement.
The Transformers TCG isn’t the only collectible game based on a major pop culture franchise to come to an end this year, following the cancellation of dice game Star Wars: Destiny in February.