I was initially intending on making this into one of those “quickie” posts but since I started writing this, the official solicitations have already dropped. Might as well make a full post for these figures.
As an Optimus Prime collector, there’s no shortage of Optimus Prime figures every year. In fact, we got quite a lot in 2024 thanks to the Transformers’ 40th anniversary. If you are expanding into collecting other Primes, like myself, then don’t expect the expenses to stop as we are getting a line dedicated to The Thirteen. And then there’s the Studio Series figures to which we are expecting even more Optimus Primes. In fact, solicitations for a couple have just gone up.
Coming out of Studio Series ’86 Optimus Prime, considered by many as the best ‘mainline’ rendition of the G1 design to date, Hasbro and Takara Tomy are doing another version, albeit much cheaper and is technically a different incarnation. This is Optimus Prime from the game Transformers: Devastation, and it’s essentially the G1 design. The mold is of course different, being a Deluxe-class figure and has everything simplified, but it still looks good. Sticking to the animated aesthetic of the game, the figure has cel-shading on the front chest windows, and I do appreciate that they didn’t do the same treatment on the entire body.
I’m pretty sure Optimus Prime uses his Ion Blaster in the game, but for some reason, they don’t show the figure including one. Speaking of accessories, he is shown with two. First is a rather bland-colored Matrix of Leadership, which I think uses the same one as the Transformers One Studio Series version with how the hands are ‘holding’ it. He also has an Energon Axe completely molded with swinging motion effect to further enhance the animated aesthetic.
And a nice little tidbit they mentioned in the product showcase video, which I’ll link below, is why they decided to make this Deluxe class figure. As the Devastation title suggests, a key aspect of the game is fighing Devastator, and since we are getting a properly sized version in Studio Series ’86, they wanted to have an Optimus Prime figure to scale with it, at least based on the game.
Transformers Studio Series Deluxe-class Optimus Prime (Transformers: Devastation)
June 2025 / $24.99
The other figure I’m really anticipating to get is the Studio Series version of Optimus Prime from Transformers: Age of Extinction, infamously designed to have zero consideration of any transformation logic. Initial figures of the design have been plagued with backpacks and kibbles because of that design. Come The Last Knight and we did get a better figure, along with a better handled backpack and kibble (LOOK: #4004 / Transformers: The Last Knight (Premier Edition) / Optimus Prime).
In that same product showcase video, they mention that this design is specific to Age of Extinction since Optimus Prime did have some minor design changes towards the end of the film and well into The Last Knight, most notably the forearms. That said, they still included the sword and shield he acquires and both have the same paint application as the Premier Edition figure for The Last Knight. Unlike the previous version, the shield can now split open to reveal a gattling blaster. It also includes an arm blade that can held directly, or attached to the forearms. In terms of paint application, it’s sparse but at least the pectoral armor now has properly painted flames.
Now I know everyone wants to know how this new figure handles the backpack and kibble. And while we can’t really tell prior to getting the figure on-hand, or at least someone ‘acquires’ a copy from the factory, we got a glimpse from the same showcase video and the approach is quite different from the Voyager-class from The Last Knight. Instead of the whole front of the truck becoming the mass for the lower legs, it becomes the majority of the backpack, and the way it folds does keep the silhouette when viewed from the front. You can also see that it has fake smoke stacks at the back since the actual ones transform into the lower legs.
And while many have been impressed by third-party companies doing better, and much complicated transformations, I think I’m fine with this guy, especially with that mainline price point.
Transformers Studio Series Leader-class Optimus Prime (Transformers: Age of Extinction)
May 2025 / $54.99
The other Optimus Prime design from this movie I hope Hasbro and Takara Tomy take a crack again is Evasion Mode Optimus Prime. It was a marvel of engineering when it came out, being able to fit the movie design in a G1-esque cab. The transformation was quite unique with the cab basically turning inside out. Other than this, I also believe we already due for a redo of the Fall of Cybertron Optimus Prime design. The original figure came back when material costs skyrocketted, leading to a rather dismal figure of what should be a large and bulky design. So, let’s see!
