#BotCon

[cabalex]

Metal Cardbot at BotCon '25 - What's new?

4 PM PST: Updated to clarify TCG information. (It's not being planned at the moment.)

Thank you to @rinovarka for covering this event! Please see the full Twitter thread for more info.

What's new since Toyfair in February?

Names have been changed, again. See below.

They showcased the first episode of the dub at the panel. The dub appears to be the same as the existing one, even down to the old names (Blue Cop, Mega Trucker). Rino writes that "A light apology is given for the English dubbing, as it was done for affordability, and that Season 2's localization should be better."

If the first wave is received well, then there's more justification for quality dubbing, marketing, etc.. Lots of things (human figures, comic, etc) were answered with "if it does well, then maybe!",

There are talks about making a new Metal Cardbot TCG for the US audience, since TCGs don't attract much attention in Asia, but it's hypothetical (source)

They hope that MCB becomes good competition in the transforming robot market (people who work on MCB know TF and the American market, and study them for fresh views/ideas).

Planned to be distributed at Entertainment Earth, BBTS, and Amazon in Fall 2025. They hope to distribute to larger, in-person retailers in the future... "maybe"

Prototype packaging was shown off (see below) - not final

Prototype Packaging (Toyfair vs BotCon)

Toyfair coverage: misswhynowhy on Twitter

Cardbots

Season 1, Wave 1 (releasing Late 2025/2026)

Names are not final, and "they acknowledge the translated names arent that great right now", and that they're still tweaking them (and possibly the names in the dub).

Names marked in blue are new.

Blue Star (Blue Cop, formerly Blue Cobalt) - $23.99

Shadow X - $23.99

Bluster Gale (Buster Gallon) - $23.99

Mech Tackle (Mega Trucker) - $32.99

Steel Hook (Black Hook) - $32.99

Heavy Iron - $49.99

Season 1, TBD price and release date

Wild Guardian (Wild Guardy)

Buffalo Crush

Med Alert (Mega Ambler)

Fire Buster (Phoenix Fire)

Dextrous (Dexter)

Fleta Z

Ultimate Blue Star (Ultimate Blue Cop)

While Season 2 toys were shown off at the event, there was no timeline or plans announced to bring them to US retailers.

TL;DR: Dub is the same. More names changed, though none of it is final. The first wave'll come out in late 2025, along with the dub on Tubi and YouTube, which'll probably be very similar to the one we already have. "Loud support when MCB hits the Western Market greatly needed to justify bigger and better things :]" - Rino

[wyrmwright]

I'll be heading to #Botcon this weekend! See you there ✨

[pocoslip]

I really Thought Alpha Trion would have Three Modes But I guess they have to Remove his Lion Mode to make him G1 Cartoon Accurate and that's fine

(As long as Age of the Primes Alpha Trion is Not really a Scourge Retool, I'm Okay with this)

[allhorsenoplinko]

I'll never forgive Hasbro/Funpub for what they took from us.

Digital mockup of Twilight Sparkle "Prime" from Beast Machines Battle Unicorn, set for BotCon 2014, canceled for unknown reasons. -- As a lifelong fan of both franchises, to have a crossover like this.. I would KILL for the chance to own this.

[bowen-arrow-art]

🤖Botcon day two!!!🤖

Come get an apologist button so I can shame you

#transformers #maccadams

[subiehasissue]

artdump

[grotesqueimaginaton]

Had a blast at botcon, it was great seeing everyone and everyone’s cosplay. It was also my first time as a cosplayer and even going to a convention. Learned a lot and we’ll have to be working on upgrades to my null rays. My horns fell off the helmet which I hated but I’ll rework something.

Also shout out to sin on TikTok that sent me these awesome shots I sadly didn’t get any photos of myself since I was to busy enjoying the moment and taking photos with everyone else

[thenamesblurrito]

Guess who’s at BotCon! It’s me, come say hi this weekend!

[churino]

Design for sentinel maximus and primal prime

Venturing deeper into the citadel, the autobots encounter the next guardian created after dragonstorm. long ago maximus merged with the allspark's vessel to mask it's energies but now transfers that duty to Optimus prime, forging the matrix of leadership, freeing maximus to live the life she always wanted under a new name and body as primal prime, she and the matrix are one and the same even if not physically connected anymore, and she yearns to explore the world she spent so many years protecting

Sentinel maximus is the previous name of primal prime before she remade herself to experience the world (listen not everyone has good taste in names but be happy for her either way)

Having guarded the allspark alone for many years, she and dragonstorm were the only ones active when the six clan entombed them underground so many years ago, but the six clan didn't stop there, they continued to invade the citadel for years to get their hands on the allspark, until sentinel, in an attempt to ensure it's power couldn't fall into the wrong hands, transfered the allspark into a new vessel and merged with it, the allspark container entirely replacing her own spark, and blurring the allspark's wants and needs with her own to such an extent that there isn't any meaningful difference between them. The allspark, now contained within optimus prime's matrix is as much an expression of her as she's an expression of it

Before the guardians were entombed underground, the allspark was making progress on something it had started to make from the moment it struck our soil, but the magnitude of this creation was so vast it took years to become noticable, and when it did, the six clan struck, seemingly attempting to take the allspark for their evil schemes but in truth tarantulas knew what was being born underground and knew that it's awakening at that point would spell doom to everyone on earth, and when sentinel merged with the allspark and saw it's plans, she knew it too, but unable to stop what already started, she used her powers to slow it down. And entirely focused on doing that until the autobots found the citadel in the modern day

Moved not by the mistress of flame's claims of their godhood but rather claims of their good deeds, she reached out into the autobot's minds and sensed a reservoir of wisdom carried by optimus that marked him as fit to carry the allspark, but his vessel, neither like the emberstone ,nor his own body like maximus, would be the matrix given to him by the mysterious stranger that saved his life all those years ago. Embedding the allspark within his matrix it became the matrix of leadership, and sentinel maximus was relieved from duty, passing on her mission to optimus prime while she got to reinvent herself in a new feminine body, as primal prime (inspired by the name of her sucessor although she doesn't really get the significance of the word prime, not being from space and all that)

Primal prime yearns to explore the world in the time she has left to live, as after having become one with the allspark her life force is split between her body and what's housed inside the matrix so one day she knows she'll have to be absorbed into it completely to unlock it's full power and wants to live life to the fullest before that happens, although she's incredibly ancient she's really fond of young people and wants to be up to date on current trends, while the autobot leaders are off doing important world saving work, she's off enjoying the world they're saving one road at a time, in the process she's joined the trottlebots and struck a deep friendship with hot rod.

[aeonmagnus]

BotCon 2011 theme ideas. From "BotCon: Beyond the Convention."

[polyhexian]

Whirl jr CONFIRMED

[protagonistprime]

Prime Acolyte of Spark Spirit Decepticon Topspin

from Haslab Liokaiser Deathcobra ----------------------------------------------- "With awakening of an Ancient Evil, old warriors from across realms must unite and combine their efforts to stop upcoming inevitable war." -----------------------------------------------

Transformers, Topspin, Nexus Prime, Decepticons belong to Hasbro and Takara, This digibash belongs to me

[misqnon]

botcon 2025 haul!!!! 90% of the ppl i talked to didnt have tumblr rip 💔 but the red soundwave print & cyclonus button is from @wyrmwright , deadlock/drift sticker is from @bowen-arrow-art , the ID cards and prowl getting thrown off a cliff standee is from @dewhander , and ofc the deadlock standee is from @starheavenly

if youre curious where I got anything else please ask 👍 i got everyone's business card and/or twitter for the most part !!

[pocoslip]

So Happy we Got Age of the Primes Solus Prime after learning she was gonna be an Arcee Retool for BotCon but got Cancelled

(I Forgot Hasbro or Takara has made a Forge of Solus Before, which came from Beast Hunters Ultra Magnus Toy)

[raurquiz]

#diamundialcontraelcancerdemama #worlddayagainstbreastcancer #transformers #optimusprime #darkofthemoon #bumblebee #laserbeak #arcee #botcon #warforcybertron #cyberverse #beastwars #optimusprimal #actionfigures @Hasbro @takaratomytoys

[redfoxdude07]

Considering how popular Transformers model kits are nowadays, I'm slightly upset that they retired the Customization Class figures at Botcon.

For those not in the know, they were recolors of existing Transformers figures that you had to physically assemble from the sprew into the finished product, however it was left completely unpainted so YOU'D have to paint and sticker the figure yourself (of course there was a recommend design to go for but you weren't strictly forced into it I think [that would be ridiculous]).

They still DO custom figures at Botcon I think, but they just grab a bunch of figures from Target and throw them at you with some 3d printed parts and tell you to go wild. It isn't the same vibe at all. It's fine as a compromise, but I do wish Hasbro would bring back this level of cooperation with Botcon again.