Product Line / Transformers: Reactivate
Scale & Class / Voyager Class Transformers Figure
Manufacturer / Hasbro & Takara Tomy
Release Date / 2024
Appearances / N/A (Transformers: Reactivate Canceled.)
In December 2022, an upcoming game called Transformers: Reactivate was announced via a teaser trailer. While it didn’t reveal the game style, the story depicts the Earth after it had already fallen under alien invaders, and it’s up to the player to control reactivated Transformers to help fight back and reclaim the planet. Ahead of the teaser reveal, the game was already in development as Transformers: Rise and Hasbro already has the tie-in figures ready since 2020. But with the game encountering troubles during development, Hasbro has decided to release these tie-in figures as two sets of two-packs in 2024. One of them includes Soundwave bundled together with Optimus Prime.
With the game’s post-apocalyptic setting, Reactivate Optimus Prime transforms into a heavily armored truck. It even has better-looking scuff marks applied on the reinforced front bumper when compared to the “battle damage” on the Siege figures. Both vehicle and robot mode transformations are clean and accurate to the in-game design. Notables include the rear truck bed, especially when compared to other recent Optimus Primes figures, and how the rear of the cab section neatly becomes the backpack with booster-like details. Articulation is decent, but the weakest link are the two weapons. First is the Ion Blaster which looks great, but just has a short stub for its handle, so expect Optimus to drop it at the slightest touch. Then there’s the Energon Axe which looks okay, especially when attached to the outer side of the hand. Otherwise, the larger blade will be facing the wrong business end.
With the lack of development updates in 2024, game developer Splash Damage has formally canceled Transformers: Reactivate on January 8, 2025. While the announcement was totally expected, fans were understandably disappointed, especially after Hasbro’s intent on shifting its focus from directly producing films and into games and other media. Likewise, it will be interesting whether this figure, and both two-packs, will become novelty items after the cancelation. Hasbro might release the individual figures as part of the Studio Series line, just like Reactivate Bumblebee, but as of this writing, there’s no word if the other three figures will get individual reissues.
