Transformers: Cyberverse (toyline)
| This article is about the 2018 toyline based on the animated series. For the 2011 cross-series toy gimmick system, see Cyberverse (toyline). |
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The Transformers: Cyberverse toyline continues the trend set by Robots in Disguise of targeting the young demographic lying between the preschool and preteen audiences. The line focuses on "G1 inspired design" and new play patterns while featuring a diverse cast of legacy characters.
Announced in time for New York Toy Fair 2018, Cyberverse brought with it the line-wide "Action Attack" gimmick, with figures from most assortments including a unique "attacking" play feature. The line also reintroduces a line-wide size class naming system, following Robots in Disguise's erratic mix of designations, with the one exception being the returning 1-Step Changers. While Warrior Class remains similar to its Robots in Disguise counterpart, the new Scout, Ultra, and Ultimate Classes bear little correlation to previous assortments.
Starting in 2019, the toyline entered its first subline imprint, Power of the Spark, reflecting the second chapter of the television show. While 2018's "Action Attack" size classes and their unique gimmicks continued under this, the new "Spark Armor" play pattern added more size classes, involving accessory vehicles that could split apart into interchangeable armor.
For 2020 the Battle for Cybertron/Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures subline imprint revamped Ultra and Ultimate Class figures, which now featured flip-up "Energon Armor" and accompanying weapons. Many of the figures for this year were now labeled with a "Cybertronian Mode" to tie-in with the show's story taking place solely on the Transformers' homeworld. This year Cyberverse also received the Deluxe Class, a more Generations-esque subline of figures featuring show-accurate details and accessories, more complex transformations, and better articulation. The first wave also included pieces for a Maccadam build-a-bot figure. If that wasn't enough, 2020 also saw the introduction of the "Battle Call" gimmick, adding even more size classes to the line which featured voice activated electronic features.
After what seemed the end for Cyberverse at its third season's finale, it did indeed continue into 2021 with the Dinobots Unite subline imprint. Now going under the title "Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures" on all products, this subline introduced the rest of the Dinobots to join Grimlock and focused on combining gimmicks and automatic conversion with the new "Roll and Combine" and "Roll 'n' Transform" assortments.
Toys
2018
Scout Class
While a similar size to previous Scout assortments, these figures possess the unique quirk of having only partial transformations, converting into hybrid robot/alt-mode forms in which their Action Attack gimmicks are activated as the final transformation step. Due to their simplicity, some figures' Action Attacks can also be activated in robot mode.
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |
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1-Step Changers
Initially, this assortment was essentially unchanged from previous toylines, even reusing Robots in Disguise molds for the entire first wave, but beginning with wave 3 (the first wave of 2019 product), the assortment introduced Action Attacks. These typically activate only in robot mode, but some (mostly those that fire projectiles) can also work in alt-mode.
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Warrior Class
Cyberverse Warrior Class figures are broadly similar to the Robots in Disguise assortment of the same name, although they exhibit a greater willingness to forgo points of articulation which aren't required for transformation. Their Action Attacks are activated in robot mode, although some figures can also activate their Attack in vehicle mode.
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |
Ultra Class
Closest in size and design to 3-Step Changers, Ultra Class figures' Action Attacks activates in their alternate mode, though a few can also activate in robot mode. These were later dropped in favor of the energon armor.
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |  |
Ultimate Class
Similar in size to a modern Leader Class figure, but significantly simpler, Ultimate Class figures feature Action Attacks specifically designed to be activated in both robot and alt-mode. These were later dropped in favor of the energon armor.
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2019 Power of the Spark
Scout Class
Wave 4
- Optimus Prime (new mold)
- Scraplet
1-Step Changers
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Warrior Class
| Wave 4 | Wave 5
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Ultra Class
Wave 4
Ultimate Class
Wave 3
Spark Armor
- Battle Class
Added for the Power of the Spark rebranding, these figures are in-between the Warrior and Scout toys size-wise. Each one includes a drone-vehicle that disassembles to form power-up armor, connected via 5 mm attachment points.
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 |  |
- Elite Class
A slightly-upscaled version of the Battle Class figures, these Warrior-sized figures come with drone-vehicle/armors that transform "normally" into add-on armor, rather than splitting into multiple pieces. The armors also attach via twin pegs connecting with receiving ports on the back of each figure.
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- Ark Power
Ark Power Optimus is the size of a Leader Class figure, and has battle armor which can be assembled into a ship resembling the Ark.
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2020 Battle for Cybertron / Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures
Scout Class
| Wave 5 | Wave 6 | Wave 7 |
1 Step Changers
| Wave 7 | Wave 8 | Wave 9
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Wave 10 |
Warrior Class
Wave 6
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Wave 7
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Wave 8
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Ultra Class
| Wave 5 | Wave 6 | Wave 7 | Wave 8 |
Ultimate Class
| Wave 4 | Wave 5 |  |
Battle Call
The Battle Call subline makes use of voice-activated commands. The larger "Officer Class" armors up on command, while the "Trooper Class" features electronic lights. All figures feature Energon armor.
- Trooper Class
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- Officer Class
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Wave 1
- Bumblebee
Deluxe Class
Traditional Deluxe Class figures debuted at the same MSRP as the concurrent Siege, aimed at older audiences and featuring similar elements, including 5 mm ports and effect parts. Figures released in Waves 1 - 4 have a piece of Maccadam as a Build-A-Figure, while Wave 5 figures lack a Build-A-Figure altogether. The figures were also released in Japan under the name "Action Master" (Oh, the irony!). Originally regular releases with the "TCV" ID number, they were moved to being Takara Tomy Mall exclusives with an August 2020 release. The reason for this is unknown, though this is most likely due to poor sales of previous toys or in light of the current COVID-19 outbreak.
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 | Wave 4 | Wave 5 |  |
2021 Dinobots Unite
Roll and Combine
Roll 'N' Transform
Tiny Turbo Changers
Tiny Turbo Changers is a line of blind-bagged vinyl figures featuring characters from Cyberverse. Despite them ostensibly being blind-bagged, it's possible to tell which figure you're getting thanks to a small clear window and embossed letter code on the reverse of the package.
The first Series barely made it to US retail, showing up at (some) Kmarts and later some grocery store chains during the holidays in 2019. Series 2 started to pop up in Targets in July 2020, while Series 3 was available in a few international markets (in some of them as early as late 2019), but has yet to be found in the United States. Series 4 has thus far only been found in Canada.
Series 1
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Series 2
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Series 3
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Series 4
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Exclusives
Toys"R"Us
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Target
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Walmart
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Cyberverse (TakaraTomy)
Notes
- Like with previous lines, Hasbro used character-specific code names for the toys.
- For the 2018 releases, the theme was "Seinfeld characters":
- Acid Storm: "Uncle Leo"
- Blurr: "Morty"
- Bumblebee: "Costanza"
- Grimlock: "Puddy"
- Megatron: "Newman"
- Optimus Prime: "Peterman"
- Shadow Striker: "Susie"
- Shockwave: "Kramer"
- Slipstream: "Estelle"
- Soundwave: "Kruger"
- Starscream: "Bania"
- Windblade: "Elaine"
- For the 2019 releases, Hasbro abandoned the "Seinfeld" theme in favor of a new "baseball teams" theme:
- Bumblebee: "Ironbirds"
- Hot Rod: "Isotopes"
- Megatron: "Quakes"
- Optimus Prime: "Woodducks"
- Prowl: "Flying Squirrels"
- Ratchet: "Aces"
- Shadow Striker: "Rockhounds"
- Slipstream: "Greenjackets"
- Soundwave: "Dust Devils"
- Wheeljack: "Blueclaws"
- For the 2020 releases, only one code name is currently known:
- Shadow Bumblebee: "Alpha Strike"
- The "Optimus Prime Battle Base Trailer" set didn't fall under either of those themes; instead, it used the code name "Radar" for toys of Optimus Prime's live-action film series counterpart from the Studio Series and Bumblebee lines, with the theme for the code names from those lines being "Australian race horses".
- Because Hasbro frequently uses the shorthand "TRA" for the brand name in solicitations to stores and on shipping cases, the name of the Ultra Class assortment ended up being interpreted as "Ultransformers" in numerous places.
- Cyberverse toys made their global retail debut at Toyworld stores in Australia on 3 July 2018, before arriving at US retail at the end of the same month.
- Cyberverse features a minor but still noteworthy difference compared to previous toy lines that had featured subline imprints: In the case of those previous lines, any previously released toys that were re-released under those subline imprints were given new packaging that followed the design template for the subline imprint in question, but retained the original release's UPC (or EAN for European releases) barcode. By contrast, Cyberverse toys that were re-released in Power of the Spark packaging were all given new UPC (or EAN) barcodes. This even applied to the assortments themselves, which were also assigned new assortment UPC (or EAN) barcodes.
