The Back to the Future Gigawatt exclusive sells out on Walmart.com in seconds, with only 1,985 units and a 12-per-order limit. The crew blames both Walmart’s site and Hasbro’s planning as preorder slots hit eBay for $400 or more. New stock photos show Earthrise Runamuck, Sunstreaker and Trailbreaker, plus a color-matched Movie Masterpiece Ratchet. TakaraTomy teases a new Masterpiece Starscream. Matt finally gets his Earthrise Seekers, and he is happy.
Rob Springer is back with episode 22 of Transformers Squadron after his move. Patrons have a new Toy Detectives and RFC Throwback, and RFC Throwback 4 goes public soon.
News
Transformers x Back to the Future Gigawatt Preorder Fiasco
Gigawatt, the Back to the Future collaboration, opened as a Walmart.com exclusive limited to 1,985 numbered units at $29.99. The page went live late, and buyers could order 12 at a time, so it sold out in seconds. Preorder slots quickly appeared on eBay for $400 or more. Hasbro apologized for Walmart’s technical issues but not for the quantity. Don compares it to Matty Collector and warns resellers about toy karma. One host argues Hasbro should have run it through Pulse instead of Walmart. Another canceled a Generations Selects preorder out of frustration. Don has heard the retail version may differ by its license plate. The crew also dislikes the clear windshield and the missing DMC grille emblem. A regular retail release is due in October. [Source: tfradio.net]
Earthrise Runamuck New TakaraTomy Stock Photos
Runamuck is the white Battle Charger, and Runabout is the black one. One host explains that its engineering is entirely new, not a Wheeljack retool. He suspects a shared design could eventually yield Trax. The crew welcomes another fresh car transformation. [Source: tfradio.net]
MPM-11 Movie Masterpiece Ratchet New TakaraTomy Stock Photos
A newer production sample shows the mismatched greens now match. Ratchet runs about $120. Most of the crew is not buying Movie Masterpiece figures. [Source: tfradio.net]
New Stock Photos of Earthrise Sunstreaker and Trailbreaker
These are real photos, not renders, including two from the official Twitter account. Trailbreaker keeps Hoist’s quirks but adds a new truck bed, a camper shell and a good head. One host wishes the back arm panels had hinges, but he can live with it. [Source: tfradio.net]
TakaraTomy Teaser Features New Masterpiece Starscream
TakaraTomy teased a third Masterpiece Starscream. One host notes how much use the MP-11 body got and predicts a price near 35,000 yen. The crew debates whether it will be larger or smaller than the current Masterpiece Seekers. Don asks whether molds can be built to last. The answer is that factories cut extra copies and refurbish worn tooling instead. [Source: tfradio.net]
Studio Series Leadfoot Coming in October?
A Hong Kong hobby store listing suggests a Studio Series Leadfoot in October. That store has been a reliable source before. The crew expects a full weaponized Wrecker trio, since the armor hides sponsor logos. [Source: tfradio.net]
PCS Collectibles Optimus Prime, Megatron, Soundwave 9-Inch Statues
Pop Culture Shock’s nine-inch statues run about $55 each. One host likes getting statues at that price. The crew notes Soundwave’s legs again follow the inaccurate fan model sheet. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Chris
Chris cracked Target.com’s pattern and got the Earthrise Seeker two-pack in multiples to share at cost. He finds Skywarp and Thundercracker transform more smoothly than Starscream. The wings pop off their pegs at times, and he filed paint off one of Skywarp’s pegs. He notes random assembly of eye sockets and eye inserts across the three Seekers. He is relieved Skywarp is truly black.
Diecast
Diecast’s Earthrise Seekers came from Sean, after Target stock never reached the Northeast. Thanks to Pat Dustbuster, he got the Earthrise Decepticon Clones in Japanese colors with painted silver faces. He found Netflix Chromia at Walmart to finish his wave one deluxes. Two more Studio Cell Unicrons arrived, with a fourth on the way.
Matt
Matt got his Earthrise Skywarp and Thundercracker from Chris and loves them, before his connection dropped.
Don
Don got his Earthrise Seekers from John after a month of checking his Target. He also picked up Studio Series Roadbuster as a reward for his perseverance.
Rob
Rob got Earthrise Leader Optimus Prime and loves its opaque windows. With the upgrade kit he has coming, he expects it to be his last 1984-style Optimus Prime. He also got Siege Rumble and Ratbat for about $15 from a Chinese seller.
John
John didn’t think he got anything this week.
Brian
Brian’s Earthrise Seekers are still sealed. A turquoise and yellow McDonald’s Gears completes his Gears variants. He got Machine Wars Hubcap mint on card and a boxed Machine Wars Starscream. He found the BotCon 1996 dealer exclusive Onyx Primal for $145. His Double Dealer arrived early, and he hopes the mold becomes Deathsaurus. He also got the Pioneer LaserDisc of The Transformers: The Movie and watched parts of it in Japanese.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.
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