Titanium Series

The Titanium Series is a multi-property brand line of partially die-cast figures produced under Hasbro's Galoob brand as a subdivision of Micro Machines. Originally consisting entirely of Star Wars vehicles of various sizes, it has since expanded into Battlestar Galactica vehicles, Marvel Comics characters and Transformers.

Transformers Titanium Series figures are produced in two size classes:

• Robot Masters are 3-inch, non-transformable, die-cast figurines of Transformers characters from various past and present toy lines.
• Cybertron Heroes are 6-inch, transformable, partially die-cast toys, representing both pre-existing toy designs as well as all-new models by Don Figueroa.

Titaniums were developed by a separate branch of Hasbro from the normal Transformers team (who only have some input into character choices and looks), and they are also not engineered or "mech-designed" by TakaraTomy.

They are also not actually made of titanium.

Cancellation and loose ends

After the last three mass retail waves of the 6 inch figures had already seen poor distribution (they were only available at general retail in small numbers, and then only months after they had already been available from online retailers and specialty stores), Hasbro announced at BotCon in July 2007 that no new Titanium figures would be produced, and that the line would end after the upcoming release of figures already completed: Primal Prime, Soundblaster, Skywarp, War Within Grimlock, and War Within Prowl. But shortly thereafter, Hasbro said they no longer had plans to mass-produce or release any of those figures, and there was no further news for one year.

At BotCon 2008, Hasbro eventually revealed they had successfully "found homes" for several of those toys, all of them as exclusives: Skywarp was eventually released as a Hasbro Toy Shop exclusive in the summer of 2008 (also offered at San Diego Comic-Con at the same time), whereas War Within Grimlock and Prowl were made available as Toys"R"Us exclusives a month later. Primal Prime and Soundblaster will probably remain in limbo for the rest of eternity.

Several other 6 inch figures were canceled at much earlier stages in development: During the Hasbro Tour at the aforementioned BotCon 2007, Hasbro displayed resin prototypes of Arcee, Cosmos, Shockwave and War Within Bumblebee (with an additional Cliffjumper head for an intended redeco). This was purely for informational purposes, as they were very clear that the creation of metal tooling—the most expensive part of Transformer toy manufacture and thus the "threshold" step required for market release—had not been and would not be completed. The Transformers Collectors' Club roundtable suggested there "may still be hope" for these figures to be produced in some form as part of other toylines, and Hasbro has said they would particularly like to use something akin to their Cosmos design in an upcoming line. However, that boat appears to have been sailed by this point, even though new Cosmos figures were later released under the Universe and Generations lines.

In addition, Hasbro displayed four more non-transforming 3 inch figures — redecos of Side Swipe, Bumblebee and War Within Optimus Prime as Sunstreaker, Cliffjumper and Nemesis Prime, respectively, plus Soundwave as a new sculpt—at San Diego Comic-Con and BotCon 2006. With the exception of Nemesis Prime, they were even put up as product listings at Hasbro's official Transformers website, whereas Soundwave and Nemesis Prime were solicited to (now defunct) Australian online retailer Case Fresh. However, none of these toys ever appear to have made it to the mass production stage. Instead, Hasbro released three waves of 2007 Movie characters in the 3 inch assortment before canceling it altogether. Furthermore, numerous other 3 inch figures were also listed in an official catalog included with one of the last waves of the 6 inch toys, but no photos have ever surfaced, so it's possible they never made it past the planning stage.

Surprisingly, three new redecos of previously released 6 inch figures were released in 2009, to coincide with the 25 year anniversary of the Transformers brand, co-branded as part of the Universe line. Hot Zone, Thrust and Optimus Prime were all Target exclusives. In addition, three two-packs of redecos of the 3 inch Movie figures were released as Toys"R"Us exlusives under the Revenge of the Fallen header.

Releases

3" Robot Masters

Mass retail releases

Wave 1 Beast Wars Megatron War Within Optimus Prime Unicron		Wave 2 Autobot Jazz Side Swipe Starscream		Wave 3 Optimus Primal Autobot Starship Ark Megatron		Wave 4 Optimus Prime Bumblebee Smokescreen
Wave 5 Scorponok Grimlock Predaking		Wave 6 Rodimus Thundercracker		Wave 7 Galvatron Optimus Prime		Wave 8 (Movie wave 1) Optimus Prime Bumblebee Blackout
Wave 9 (Movie wave 2) Megatron Ironhide Autobot Jazz		Wave 10 (Movie wave 3) Decepticon Brawl Autobot Ratchet

The US mass retail release of the first three initial waves was slightly delayed after they had already been available in Australasia and from US-based online retailers for a while. When they were finally found in US stores, they were sighted in reversed order as compared to their official wave numberings, although all those sightings occurred within the span of a few days at most.

Exclusives

Costco 2007 Movie Ultimate Bumblebee with "Special Value" bonus Titanium Series Bumblebee

Target Ultimate Optimus Prime 3-Pack

Toys"R"Us Optimus Prime & Bumblebee two-pack Cliffjumper and Dead End Offroad Ironhide and Deep Desert Brawl Rescue Ratchet and Blackout

The latter three Toys"R"Us exclusive two-packs of 3 inch figures were released in 2009, well after Transformers product had ceased being released in the Titanium Series proper. The packaging co-brands them as both Revenge of the Fallen and Titanium Series products.

6" Cybertron Heroes

Mass retail releases

Beginning with Wave 4, each figure was labelled with the character's series of origin.

Wave 1 Megatron Optimus Prime		Wave 2 Jetfire Thundercracker		Wave 3 Optimal Optimus Scourge		Wave 4 Rodimus Prime (Generation 1) Soundwave with Laserbeak (Generation 1)
Wave 5 Optimus Prime (Robots in Disguise) Starscream (War Within)		Wave 6 Cheetor (Beast Machines) Fallen/War Within Fallen (War Within)		Wave 7 Megatron (War Within) Ultra Magnus (Generation 1)		Wave 8 Sunstorm (War Within) Ultra Magnus (War Within)

The Fallen received two packaging variants, alternately sporting the name "Fallen" (sans definite article) or the trademarked name "War Within Fallen"; similarly, the nameplate on his display stand featured either "The Fallen" or "War Within Fallen".

Waves 6, 7 and 8 were released at US mass retail with a delay of several months, after they had already been available from online retailers and specialty stores. Also, the Wave 7 toys were first sighted in stores several weeks following the initial sighting of the Wave 8 toys, despite the official wave numbering.

Exclusives

San Diego Comic Con/Hasbro Toy Shop Menasor (Generation 1) Skywarp (War Within)

Toys"R"Us War Within Optimus Prime vs. War Within Megatron (including The War Within #5 comic) Grimlock (War Within) Prowl (War Within)

Target Hot Zone Optimus Prime Thrust

Menasor was also sold at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2007. Skywarp was originally intended to be released as part of what might have been wave 11 of the mass retail releases. He was made available as a Hasbro Toy Shop exclusive after the mass retail Titanium Series line had been canceled. He was also sold at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2008.

Grimlock and Prowl were originally intended to be released as part of either wave 9 or 10 of the mass retail releases. They were made available as Toys"R"Us exclusives after the mass retail Titanium Series line had been canceled.

The three Target exclusive 6 inch figures were released in 2009, well after Transformers product had ceased being released in the Titanium Series proper. The packaging co-brands them as both Universe and Titanium Series products.

Unreleased

Robot Masters

Solicited/pictured

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Cliffjumper

Sunstreaker

Soundwave

Nemesis Prime

All four figures were displayed by Hasbro at San Diego Comic-Con and BotCon 2006. In addition, official product listings for Cliffjumper, Sunstreaker and Soundwave (complete with stock photos) were put up on Hasbro's public website, and the Soundwave/Nemesis Prime wave was solicited to now defunct Australian online retailer Case Fresh.

Solicited only

But I can't LIVE without a tiny evil clone of Hot Rod!

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War Within Megatron

Jetfire

Soundblaster

Skywarp

Silverstreak

Black RODIMUS

Shockwave

Ultra Magnus

Grimlock

All these figures were listed in a catalog/pamphlet that came with the last mass retail waves of the 6 inch figures. No images of them ever surfaced, and it's unlikely that any of them ever actually made it past the planning stage.

Cybertron Heroes

Solicited/pictured

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Primal Prime

Soundblaster with Ravage

Both toys were displayed by Hasbro at BotCon 2007. They are also depicted as cross-sells on the packaging for Grimlock (Primal Prime) and Prowl (Soundblaster), respectively, which were originally supposed to ship together with these two figures and were eventually made available as Toys"R"Us exclusives instead.

Resin hardcopies only

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Arcee

War Within Bumblebee

War Within Cliffjumper

Cosmos

Shockwave