Transformers Collaborative
From Transformers Wiki
Transformers Collaborative is a subline of the Generations franchise that began in 2019, intended to incorporate properties originating outside of the Transformers brand, not unlike the Crossovers franchise (2008–2011) before it.
Unlike its predecessor, some Collaborative toys received tie-in crossover comics published by IDW Publishing.
Collaborations
Ghostbusters × Transformers
Fiction
- Transformers/Ghostbusters: Ghosts of Cybertron (5-part miniseries)
- Occurs in IDW's pre-existing ongoing Ghostbusters universe.
Toys
Announced in the run-up to Toy Fair 2019, preorders for Ectotron went up on Hasbro Pulse on February 15, 2019, and was also sold online through GameStop in the United States, EB Games in Canada, and Zing and EB Games in Australia. In 2020, additional online retailers offered it for sale. MP-10G Ecto-35 Edition Optimus Prime debuted as an exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with additional availability at Fan Expo Canada and the Hasbro Pulse online store.
2021's Ectotron was released as a Target exclusive, going up for preorder on November 13, 2020 and later made available as a Toyworld exclusive, in New Zealand. It is also available on Hasbro Pulse in the United Kingdom.
2019
2021
Back to the Future × Transformers
Fiction
- Transformers/Back to the Future (4-part miniseries)
Toys
Gigawatt was released in two separate versions: a Walmart-exclusive numbered edition was put up for preorder on July 2, 2020 with added graphics on the box identifying the figure as one of a limited run of 1,985. A standard non-numbered version was made available through Hasbro Pulse and other "select retailers" on October 1. In July, TakaraTomy announced that they would be releasing Gigawatt as well, making it the first Collaborative product to be released in Japan. Gigawatt was later released in Italy initially as a Gamestop-exclusive and then on Amazon starting from January 2021. On September 27, 2021, Gigawatt was sold as a Mighty Ape-exclusive in New Zealand. It was also available on Hasbro Pulse in the United Kingdom.
- Gigawatt (2020)
Top Gun × Transformers
Maverick is exclusive to Hasbro Pulse in the United States and Canada. It was also available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets such as Hong Kong. The re-release was exclusive to Walmart stores in the United States.
X-Men × Transformers
Ultimate X-Spanse is exclusive to Hasbro Pulse, Gamestop, and Target in the United States and Hasbro Pulse in the United Kingdom. On March 4, 2021, the set was made available on Mighty Ape for New Zealand consumers.
- Ultimate X-Spanse (w/ Wolverine and Sabretooth) (2021)
Jurassic Park × Transformers
The set is exclusive to Amazon in the United States and went up for pre-order on June 29, 2021. It was later available on Hasbro Pulse in the United States, and select retailers worldwide, on December 1 2021. The Dilophocon and JP-12 set was revealed on June 1 2023.
- Tyrannocon Rex / Autobot JP93 (2021)
- Dilophocon / Autobot JP12 (2023)
J. Balvin × Transformers
Yes, this is real.
The set is exclusive to the NTWRK app and went up for pre-order on July 13, 2021, and began shipping in mid-November.
- J. Balvintron / Energia Buzzsaw & Vibras Stripes (2021)
Universal Monsters × Transformers
The first figure in this creepy crossover, Draculus, was exclusive to Target and Hasbro Pulse, announced on September 10, 2021, and shipped November 28 (though international retailers got a head start on that.) Frankentron was later revealed to be a Amazon exclusive two years later.
- Draculus (2021)
- Frankentron (2023)
G.I. Joe × Transformers
A capsule series released to commemorate the 40th anniversary of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank set was announced on February 24, 2022, while the Bumblebee A.W.E. Striker set was announced on June 8, 2022 for 2023.
- Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank and Baroness (2022)
- Bumblebee A.W.E. Striker with Sgt. Stalker (2023)
- Soundwave Dreadnok Thunder Machine with Zartan and Zarana (and Ravage) (2024)
- Autobot Kup Triple "T" (with Sgt. Slaughter and Leatherneck) (2024)
Tonka × Transformers
A collaboration with Hasbro's own in-house brand of giant trucks, featuring redecos of the Generation 1 Constructicons as new Autobot characters in classic Tonka yellow-and-steel-gray.
- Tonkanator gift set (2022), includes:
Street Fighter II × Transformers
A western release of the 2018 Street Fighter II × Transformers toyline, in celebration of the Street Fighter franchise's 35th anniversary. The toys were announced to be coming westward on June 24, 2022, and were released as Target and Hasbro Pulse exclusives.
These are almost exactly the same as the TakaraTomy releases, even down to the packaging. The Hasbro versions just add a wraparound fake-box cover to the original Japanese packaging. Presumably the only differences are the addition of tampographed production stamping to the toys proper.
Volvo Trucks × Transformers
This collaboration with Volvo is a direct redeco of the quizzical Holiday Optimus Prime toy with an idiosyncratic history. The figure seems to have its origins in a no-show Amazon Prime × Transformers Collaborative toy that was listed on Amazon.com.au in July 2022[1] after its existence was first leaked by "secret inside sources" types in June the previous year.[2] Like VNR and Holiday Prime, the Amazon mashup was also specified to turn into a licensed Volvo truck in 37 steps. The mold ultimately surfaced as the suspiciously high effort Holiday Optimus Prime for the Christmas season 2022 before its rerelease in more traditional colors as the largely unmarked "VNR Optimus Prime" in 2023, identifiable as a Collaborative release solely by its internal paperwork. It seems this Volvo truck finally found its way back into Collaborative... as a collab with Volvo themselves.
- VNR Optimus Prime (2023)
Stranger Things × Transformers
- Code Red (2023)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles × Transformers
- Party Wallop (2024)
Knight Rider × Transformers
- Agent Knight (2024)
Naruto Shippuden × Transformers
Star Wars: The Mandalorian × Transformers
- The Mandalorian/N-1 Starfighter (2025)
Sonic the Hedgehog × Transformers
- Wingtail & Blue Booster (2025)
Notes
- Many of the toys released under the Collaborative banner had "Project" code-names with varying degrees of bizarreness:
- Ectotron: "Project Mullet"
- Gigawatt: "Project Future"
- Maverick: "Project Cruise"
- Ultimate X-Spanse: "Project Bird"
- Tyrannocon Rex/JP93: "Project Park"
- J. Balvintron/Energia Buzzsaw & Vibras Stripes: "Project Jam"
- Draculus: "Project Bat"
- Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank: "Project Trooper 1"
- Bumblebee A.W.E Striker: "Project Trooper 3"
- Tonkanator: "Project Yellow"
- Dilophocon/JP12: "Project Island"
- Soundwave Dreadnok Thunder Machine: "Project Jojo"
- Code Red: "Project Waffles"
- Frankentron: "Project Francis"
- Party Wallop: "Project Renaissance"
- Agent Knight: "Project Knight"
- Kurama & Gamakichi: "Project Tails"
- The Mandalorian: "Collab 6"
- Wingtail & Blue Booster: "Collab Blue"
- As of 2025, only the second Ectotron, the Ultimate X-Spanse and Gigawatt figures have been released in New Zealand. Ectotron was available through Toyworld and Mighty Ape, while Gigawatt was only available through Mighty Ape. Ultimate X-Spanse on the other hand had almost received a full retail release, being sold through The Warehouse, Toyworld and Mighty Ape (three of the five major New Zealand Transformers toy distributors).
