Transformers Online MMO rumoured for 2021
The robots are no longer in disguise as it looks like a giant Transformers Online MMO is still in the works. While Michael Bay's blockbusting movie franchise has faded into obscurity following the box office disappointment of 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight, the expanded world of these techy toys is still going strong.
News of a supersized Transformers game first started doing the rounds in 2018, and while things have gone quiet, it's still on track for launch next year.
While 2020 boasts impressive MMO titles like The Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy 14, and World of Warcraft, some feel the genre isn't what it used to be a few years ago.
We already knew that Hong Kong developer Leyou was supposedly working on Transformers Online, but now that the company has been acquired by Tencent, a number of documents have made their way online - giving players a closer look at what's going on under the hood of Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots.
Transformers Online MMO: What do we know?
There's a bright future for fan-favourite franchises making a big leap from the silver screen to console and PC. The first of these was the much-hyped announcement of Hogwarts Legacy for 2021.
When it comes to Leyou, the company is working on Transformers Online and an MMO based on The Lord of the Rings for 2022. With all three of these currently on our screens or set for bold reinventions, its a shrewd move to cash in on them in a different medium.
Leyou's Transformers game was first announced alongside Civilization Online. A licensing agreement was drawn up between Leyou and Transformers owners, Hasbro. It was originally being developed on Unreal Engine 4 under the title Transformers: Impact.
Back then, it was described as a mix between Destiny and Warframe. Combining a shared hub, combat spaces, co-op PvE, and being free-to-play, it sounds like it's juggling a lot of ideas. Now, the latest documents have outlined the various characters, abilities, and main story arc.
If you're already pumped, the synopsis for Transformers Online reads: "Many years in the future, the Aegis, a massive alien superweapon, drifts into the Sol System. The Autobots and Decepticons wage a fierce battle for control of the derelict weapon.
"The battle ends in a massive explosion, decimating both Transformer forces and shattering the Aegis into massive Shards. The Shards rain down on Earth with devastating impact, instantly corrupting the land where they fall.
"Now, with the combined fate of the Transformers and humanity threatened, the Autobots and Decepticons must band together from a small, desperate outpost, and fight for survival against the Corruption brought by the Shards of Aegis."
Transformers Online MMO could be coming soon
It's important to note some of these documents are a few years old, meaning everything might not pan out as originally planned. There are a few snippets that still project the game for a launch in 2021.
The title was supposed to punch its way into our lives with "early access" in Q4 2018, followed by a commercial launch in Q2 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Even though this never came to pass, the documents were amended in both March 2019 and more recently in July 2020.
The latest amendment pencils October 31st, 2021, into our diaries. This is the proposed date for the Transformers Online Open Beta, followed by a full launch "no later than April 30th, 2022."
Things are looking promising for Transformers Online thanks to developer Certain Affinity submitting a "satisfactory beta version." This spurred Leyou into adding an extra $10 million funding and inviting Arkham Origins multiplayer development studio, Splash Damage, to help oversee the final phase. If this is the case, we should keep our eyes peeled for the first footage of Transformers Online soon.
