It is a hard time for fans of robots in disguise—especially those who are fond of trading card games. After less than two years in circulation, the Transformers TGC that pitted Autobots against Decepticons seems destined for the discard pile.
The Transformers franchise has long been one of Hasbro's flagship properties, evolving from cartoons and toys to encompass blockbuster movies, merchandise, and games both analog and digital. Faithful fans have expressed their passion for the franchise in a wide variety of ways, from immaculately curated toy collections to functional, transforming cosplay to spending small fortunes on related products. One fan spent thousands on Transformers: Earth War, a free-to-play mobile title that launched in 2016. Unfortunately, it seems that the TCG failed to court the same dedication from fans.
Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast announced that it would be scrapping the Transformers TCG after releasing the game's most recent expansion, Titan Masters Attack. The abrupt cancellation surprised many fans, as the game's player base continued to grow. The reason behind the cancellation is vague, but a press release asserts that the game failed to "meet the expectations of the broader fan base to engage further with the brand," which suggests that the goal for the title was to feed players into other aspects of the Transformers IP.
Failing to reach such targets may factor into the build-up for the next live-action Transformers film, slated for release in 2022, prompting Hasbro to reallocate funds to a new project.
It is possible the canceled game will be replaced by a different cardboard format. Hasbro did a number of wild things with its colossal robot franchise, including the perplexing Angry Birds Transformers mash-up game that released for mobile in 2014. But there has been no word as to whether Hasbro plans on taking a different approach toward the franchise's tabletop gaming front, or what that might look like.
Fortunately for fans, there is at least one other family-friendly Transformers title on the horizon. Transformers: Battlegrounds, is set to launch in October and likely to please those yearning for Cybertronian warfare. But digital and physical formats often appeal to different audiences or scratch different itches, and dedicated TCG players have expressed their extreme disappointment in the cancellation on Twitter.
The Transformers TCG is available at hobby shops and major retailers now.