Transformers fans have been dealt quite the blow. Developer Splash Damage recently confirmed that the game Transformers: Reactive has been canceled. The project was first announced in 2022 during The Game Awards. Despite years of work, the studio says they are going to shift focus to other projects.
“Today, we have some very difficult news to share, the decision has been made to end development of Transformers: Reactivate,” Splash Damage said in a social media post. “This means we will be scaling down to refocus our efforts on other projects. Unfortunately, despite every effort, a number of roles across the studio are now potentially at risk of redundancy.”
The announcement comes as a bit of a surprise. The franchise seems to be thriving right now. Last year saw the release of the animated Transformers One. Paramount is also currently developing a Transformers/G.I. Joe live-action movie. Plus, the Energon Universe is going strong at Skybound, with the new Transformers comic receiving tons of praise. The developer, speaking further, praised Hasbro as a creative partner throughout the process.
“This decision did not come lightly, and it is a difficult time for the studio and our people. We want to take a moment to thank the team who worked on Transformers for their dedication and passion. Hasbro was an incredible and supportive partner throughout, and we hope to work with them again. To the many fans, your excitement and support helped keep us going.”
Reactivation was going to be a third-person action/shooter. No firm reason was provided for the cancellation. After the news broke, leaked gameplay footage began circulating online, which you can check out below. The footage is a bit rough, but it does appear to be genuine.
Transformers Reactivate Gameplay Unreal Engine 5#TransformersReactivate #PlayTFR #Transformers pic.twitter.com/rF707RAhij
— Transformers: Reactivate | DpzLuna (@DpzLuna) January 8, 2025
Here is the official description for Transformers: Reactivate.
“Transformers: Reactivate will offer players a chance to immerse themselves in the Transformers universe like never before. They will get to play as some of their favourite characters; unique, weighty, and powerful, seamlessly converting between vehicle and bot form as they battle The Legion; the greatest threat the Autobots have ever faced.”
Unfortunately, video game development has become perilous in recent years. Even games that do make it across the finish line often don’t pan out. Just look at Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which lost around $200 million. Other games wind up stuck in development hell for years. Or, such as in this case, are scrapped entirely after untold millions were spent.
It’s been a while since we had a Transformers game on consoles. Most recently was Transformers: Battlegrounds in 2020. Before that, we had Transformers: Devastation in 2015. One imagines Hasbro will look to get another game going sooner rather than later. Looking ahead, Marvel is set to publish a new collection of the original Transformers comics later this year. It also remains to be seen if Transformers One will be getting a sequel or not. But there is, on the whole, plenty for fans to look forward to.
What do you think? Are you bummed the game isn’t happening? Did you dig the footage? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
