Remembering Transtech, The Cancelled Transformers Series 

I wonder what would have happened if Transtech was the FINAL transformers toyline before having a reboot in the 2010s

I am STILL amazed all this time later that after high res pics of the Starscream and Cheetor toys were posted, no third party companies have come out with their own versions. Especially that Starscream which looks to be dead simple.

Honestly I think the designs are badass but I really enjoy out there sci fi designs. Sort of reminds me of the Enterprise-E in how sleek and sci fi they are.

I was a big fan of the Beast Machines aesthetic conceptually, and was absolutely bummed Transtech was canned. This was a fun couple of years as Hasbro was (at least operating under the pretense of) willing to experiment still, not leaning on raw nostalgia like nowadays. I always wanted to see a Cybertron-only story, where having "space cars" made sense even if they weren't recognizeable. The toy engineering was limited in that era, but if given a rehash today in the Legacy line with a few tweaks Beast Machines guys would absolutely pop. Voyager Obsidian, anyone? While I am a minority among G1 fans, it's part of the reason I like the designs of the "Bayverse." There is a willingness to experiment and offer a diversity with the aesthetic, while retaining that "mechanical life form" feel instead of just being blocky robots that G1 throwbacks lean in on.

That Black arachnia looks closer to a Xenomorph fusing with a transformer than Black arachnia and I love her for that

I'd love for them to do this as a series or just a line in Legacy Evolution or Generations Selects

God so many of these look cool, I hope Transtech can eventually get produced, or at least the designs get put into legacy lines.

I would die to live in the timeline where TJ made a Transtech Plastic addict video

I would kill to see this get revived. Either officially or 3rd Party.

It's a real shame this line didn't come out. I hope they make a comic or release a synopsis of the plot they had written.

What a shame Transtech will never be a fully fledged series or toyline. The artwork for this series is incredibly badass and unique. I love so many of these designs and absolutely adore the Y2K future aesthetic they have here. The turn of the millennium really had this unique take on what future designs for things would be, I can’t even imagine how that theme would’ve been adapted into a full series. As someone that loves a lot of early 2000’s things in entertainment I just know it would have been something to behold. The super alien designs, the toys and their gimmicks the possibilities of what the show could have been. Man, would be awesome if someone made a fan made series based on transtech somehow since there is no way it’ll ever happen officially.

It's not as obvious as Animated Blurr, but WFC's Optimus's truck mode has at least a comparable silhouette to Transtech Optimus, enough at least that I recall, when the original generations figure was first teased with either a blurred or silhouette picture (it's been 13 years, I can't remember) of the alt mode, there was speculation that it was Transtech Optimus.

Such a shame Hasrbo sent the Pinkertons after Behindthetoys before TransTech Prime's toy could be revealed.

I would have loved to see a second attempt at that futuristic aesthetic from Beast Machines considering how hit and miss the designs from that show were, and a lot of these designs feel like a better version of that aesthetic. Mainframe really deserved a better fate than what it ended up becoming

The Starscream and Shockwave have some elements of Shockblast from Cybertron and Megatron from Transformer Prime.

Bout time someone talked about it. I have a serious love for trans tech. It makes the multiverse so fun. And since they readapted them vangelus is TECHNICALLY the canonical voice of shockwave of that universe.

These designs are so cool. Beast Machines was already (and still is) the most challenging - and one of the most rewarding - work of fiction in the franchise. Aesthetically at least, TransTech looks like it was carrying the torch of pushing the brand to its limits.

Those Primal and Optimus designs were definitely reused for later Cybertron designs. It's very close.

scavengers vehicle mode looks really close to the transtech design, and that seems way more convincing than just treads for arms.

That Starscream looks like it could have been a Skyquake too.

these designs look SO COOL :O they need to bring these back

I actually would like for them to bring this concept back and do something with some of these designs. Maybe even making them into new characters

I hope Transtech gets revived In Transformers Legacy .

"we didn't use any transtech designs in the future." meanwhile highmoon optimus's truck mode.

We need a third party or even a Haslab box set to do the Cheetor, Prime, and Screamer

Would love to see legacy pick up some of these designs

That Optimus deffo inspired WFC Optimus.

In an alternative universe where Transtech did come out, I have to wonder if Transtech ended up being a good toyline or if the toyline ended up being as messy as Titanium.

Megatron looks so Anime-esque....I love it

Too bad we never actually got a beast wars trilogy. Beast wars, beast machines, and Transtech.

There is no better time for Transtech to return than the present.

Holy crap every one of these designs is epic. I love all of them.

I can kinda see where WFC games Optimus design may have come from, just dialed back a teeny bit

i once heard a rumor somewhere that the Optimus Prime prototype somehow wound up with a private collector that didn't want photos taken, so who knows where it is now. wonder if this design had an influence on the High Moon WFC/FoC truck modes for Optimus, at least where those smokestacks are concerned. probably not impossible what with the Cheetor design eventually informing Animated Blurr (even down to having a springing bumper gimmick) also, did you see the concept art that depicted Mini-Cons in Transtech? i think one concept they had for integrating the little ones was a forearm designed like a drooping, oversized shirt sleeve that served as a ramp for Mini-Con cars to leap out of

I would love to see these Transtech designs as Power Rangers zords at one point or another.

WOW. Thanks for posting all this! This answers MANY questions after Endgame 3! I also loved that Rattrap, Cheetor and other Maximals were going to be sold ALONGSIDE G1 Optimus and others! I'm seriously on a high right now..... Bringing Megatron back, and introducing Immorticon to start another war; ENOUGH! There's been MORE than ENOUGH war through Beast Wars and Endgame 3. Let Cybertron be at PEACE for once now! It's SOOOO good to see what was planned for OPTIMUS PRIME proving he and the others were definitely on Cybertron after G1 ended. Now he and other others can interact with the MAXIMALS! Oh I'm on such a high....Also, Bob Skir was asked at a TFCON recently what was planned for Transtech. In HIS mind, what WOULD have happened was the Maximals would have gone off in search of Primal's spark. At the end of the 13th episode of Season 3/Transtech, it would have been found. This sounds like a really cheap way to cheapen Primal's sacrifice at the end of Endgame. I agree with Bob that ending the show HERE was the right way to go. OMG this video and scanned images open so many new possibilities ...... I'm on such a high I don't know if I'll get much sleep tonight. Again, THANK YOU for posting all this! You just made my year with the post Endgame Optimus Prime confirmations!!!!!!!!!

a transtech cheetor and Starscream would be amazing in legacy

damn that optimus prime does look somewhat like the wfc and foc design! vehicle mode at least

Thing is transtech looks the reverse from beast machines going back to all machine than techno-organic but hey I'm cool with that techno organic that's works for human characther but TF are machines and I say DONT CHANGE THAT

I really like what FunPub did with these designs with the multiversal nexus reality where there was never a war, and I hope that concept continues forward as how these designs live. Would love to see legacy toys of them. Maybe Optimus could be a heavy retool of his recent Gamer Edition figure?

Transtech Cheetor should've been released in RID 2001

I'm interested how optimus and thd rest of g1 characters would return

I wish Hasbro would stop playing out the nostalgia card and revisit the Transtech idea.

8:20 Coming back to this after Rise of the Beasts, because is it just me? Or does the RotB Cheetor head look reminiscent of the top right trans tech design?

The first blue silverbolt design. Looks like he took influence ls from his time as jetstorn

the Optimus Prime reminded me of Highmoon's War for Cybertron

A shame they cancelled it but than again beast machines ended perfectly

8:42 Honestly, the top right to me looks like the Rise of the Beasts Cheetor head design 🤔 the detail lines instead of a mouth, side head "vents", eye shape, even the head crest

Unpopular opinion but I’m kinda glad we didn’t get Transtech. It just looks more like a “tried way too hard to be different” like Beast Machines but somehow worse. While some designs are cool like Shockwave’s alt mode, everything else feels like Beast Machines but more of a eyesore

i tend to repeat myself on this, but transtech is my greatest frustration when it comes to the transformers franchise. the beast machines toys were a giant part of my childhood and i loved how out there the designs were, it would have been amazing to see this whole line realized. i understand the decisions from a financial standpoint but ultimately constantly banking on nostslgia (while very fun and a great way to reintroduce the brand’s past to a younger audience) feels like it’s just one part of the whole universe to me. i still hope hasbro revisits this line someday, i feel like toy engineering is in the right place to do it justice now-but based on the old test shots it already seemed feasible. if transtech ever comes around, i’ll go back to buying TFs in earnest. for now, i’m happy with the occasional purchase and seeing the toys go strong still.

Oh god. Bayverse happened because some Paramount executive looked at the cancelled Transtech designs and said, "I *LIKE* that! Let's do THAT!!", didn't it?

I hope hasbro do transtech after they finesh legacy

Not a fan of this design aesthetic. I am very okay with Cheetor's design being one of few things that survived from this, in the form of Animated Blurr.

3:49 I think you meant to say Summer of 2001 not Summer of 2021 lol

Not the final Megatron design through

Tfcc added Transtech to their ongoing magazine comics. These designs are similar to the ones that they use in the comics. In the series, the Transtech were the gatekeepers for the multiverse. They also did an homage to transtech Cheetor in the Stunticon Job Botcon story. They made the toy as well. They re-used the Animated Blurr mold and made a pretty cool version of him as a futuristic style race car, yellow, with spots, and even some neon green clear plastic tucked into it for the weapon and a couple other parts.

I love the Cheetor design

Ouir fan film Trans Tech Transformers meets Robotech, is still online. It's in series form and in mini series form. Our take on it was merely a crossover of all the generations, Beast Wars (and Beat Machines (2399) meets the Transformers of the early to middle 2000s, meets Robotech of the 2030s and 2040s, via the space bridge, withe the ultimate goal to use cybertronian tech to return Rick Hunter to his timeline in the end.

After hearing someone with the name "I hate Transformers" is supporting a channel that mostly talks about Transformers I am now fully convinced that people are intentionally making user names just to make you say things you would never otherwise say. Lets just hope they keep the silly user names appropriate for RU-vid or you might have to stop giving them shout outs. Anyway... there are a few fiction details we do know... not a lot but we do know that this series was going to include actual returning G1 characters interacting with the new Beast cast. We got glimpses of that with Starscream and Ravage in Beast Wars but beyond that there really wasn't much interaction between the Autobots/Decepticons and Maximals/Predacons. So essentially all the characters with G1 names except for Silverbolt would be the actual G1 characters and not a completely new character with the same name. Silverbolt of course would be the Maximal version not the Autobot. The things we don't know are stuff like how exactly they were planing on bringing back characters who had died, namely Depth Charge. I love the designs though and am kind of glad they got reused in some capacity... even though the story in the comics really has nothing to do with what the story was suppose to be since that all takes places in an entirely different universe. I have noticed as well that Optimus Prime's Transtech design, with different proportions in robot mode, is basically just the WFC design from the video game. The vehicle mode especially has a very similar shape to that concept art. Megatron's design is basically Armada minus the horns and different legs. Cheetor's design actually does exist as an actual toy now... not the original version of the mold but Animated Blurr was heavily inspired by TranTech Cheetor and then BotCon actually turned that toy into a Cheetor. I wish this series had been fully realized cause I need more of these designs and those characters in my life.

So much Robotech/Battletech/MechWarrior and Evangeion in them.

I would've loved to see TransTech come to fruition, it would've given a better, and more satisfying ending to not only the Beast Era, but the original G1 cartoon timeline, would've bridged the Beast Era to G1. I personally think BM's ending gave a vibe that there was gonna be another sequel. I love these sleek Cybertronian designs, they look like predecessors to the Cybertron game designs, especially that Optimus truck.

One good thing that came out of TransTech's cancellation was RID(AKA Car Robots) , imported to fill a few years while Armada was in development. A brief glimpse into the bizarre world of Japanese TransFormers.

The Prime does kind of look like Animated Prime was inspired, and the War for Cybertron game.

Next year is Transformers 40th. They need to do Transtech. They used Transtech toy looks on Armada & Animated. Only one Transtech toy came out. The RID Megablot Megatron was not a BM Toy. It was an early Transtech Toy. This Series Needs To Be Made. They need to complete the G1 BW Story Line.

lol Immorticon would’ve gotten the nickname “Morty” very fast😂

Good news but there is an actual image of cheetor in robot mode using fanmade colors! Yeah waist is kibbly cuz of the waist wheels and body is a tad weird since it's a tad hunchback but really solid figure! There's apparently like a drawn to 3d model made prototypes of Megatron (whos prototype uses the G2 variant head/cursed sort off and more square tankmode) and immorticon (now with a different cannon) from what I know and mega class so far for wave 1 is blackarachnia, scavenger and dephtcharge who would've been a shellformer

I really wish Hasbro 1 day decides to make Transtech happen, a full show would be a dream come true. But I also would be happy with a full IDW comic book series. Something please

Wasn’t TransTech partially adapted for the Axiom Nexus universe?

I dunno if either Hasbro or Takara still have any design docs for the Transtech toyline collecting dust in their archives, but if they do I'd love to see these resurface as potential Legacy figures someday X3

It's still amazing on how Transtech was going to do for the brand what the Bay TF movies ultimately did which was taking TF designs at their most alien/futuristic.While it may be for the best that Hasbrro didn't go with it at the time due to the factors you talked about, it still would be cool to see it finally brought back in some form or another like a comic series. At least some of the designs live in in other series.

It might be impossible, but I would love if some of the "Transtech" designs got represented in "Legacy".

if i have to beg HasTak to make a Transtech Legacy subline i will, these figures would be amazing to have in a collection

I'm utterly glad this never happened, and I honestly not surprised they rebooted after the disaster of Beast Machines

I suppose they were concept pieces. They would probably have been refined and cleaned up if the show was made

Looking at the thumbnail, my first reaction was why put tigertron's head on armada megatron's body.

Summer 2021?

In the fan film we just used our existing toys as we could not build those designs.

That Optimus Prime vehicle mode looks like wat we saw in the Cybertron games

The bottom head design for megatron looks like ROTB Scourge

Immorticon totally could’ve been a BotCon retool of Crossovers Hulk

I hold out hope every year that they'll bring this out. Its such a waste of great concept designs.

Can't understand why they do not proceed with Transtech now that Transformers are at theur top thanks to the movies.

Transtech was canned in favor of an Optimus Prime who turns into a Japanese fire truck.

Well at least some of the transtech designs apear in the Fun Publication comics

Whoever’s name is I hate transformers means you worship icarly

Not gonna lie, I'd buy these if a 3P makes them.

Somebody tell Joe Hasbro to bring this back in Legacy.

This would have been cool. I liked Beast Machines and Wars

I think a better name for Emorticon would have been Emorticus

I love the Transtech Concepts, I hope they get picked up one day.

That Cheetor does look a lot like the Velocitron lady Speedia.

Also the super megs is similar to Cybertron Megs.

Transtech Prime looks a lot like the war for cybertron primes

Looks like the design’s ended up in the Bay-verse

The cheetor head on the top right at 8:32 looks like the rotb cheetor

Never say never cuz nostalgia is a bitch

well well look what just came back to life

Yeah night scream looks like an eva

Did you mean to say 2021?

Immorticon, wouldn't this be in trouble of a Copywrite Lawsuit being so similar to Immortan Joe from Mad Max: Fury Road? My favorites that I want the most are Silverbolt, originally the body core to the Aerialbots, and Shockwave then Starscream.