Hasbro's Transformers has remained popular for decades thanks to an ongoing line of toys, a big-budget Hollywood franchise, and tie-in video games. Transformers: Battlegrounds was announced in June with plans to release this October, but before then the robots in disguise will take over naval ships in a crossover with World of Warships.
Hasbro and World of Warships developer Wargaming announced the crossover this morning, letting fans know that Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, and Rumble will come to the free-to-play MMO this September. All four Transformers are commanders who can helm a vessel, but there will also be themed ship skins based on the Autobots and Decepticons.
The limited-time crossover will also include special containers, commemorative flags and patches, and new missions that add, "A whole new dimension to combat for fans of both franchises," according to Hasbro's Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Business Affairs Mark Blecher in a press release. World of Warships' Executive Producer Philip Molodkovets said multiple generations have "fallen in love" with Transformers, leading to an enduring property with new entries like Transformers: War for Cybertron - Siege airing on Netflix.
As silly as it is to see Optimus Prime commanding an "iconic war vessel" in World of Warships, which focuses on "naval history enthusiasts," the attention garnered by this crossover could be beneficial for Wargaming's future charitable endeavors. Earlier this year, World of Warships raised over $100,000 for a charity dedicated to veteran mental health assistance in just five weeks.
World of Warships is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.