2026 Studio Series Leader Class Figures will Include 86 Soundwave + Astrotrain and TLK Nemesis Prime
Monday, January 27th, 2025 9:42PM CST
Categories: Toy News, RumorsPosted by: EvasionModeBumblebee Views: 64,926
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TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES LDR TF5 NEM PRIME
EAN:5010996348692
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES LDR 86 ASTROTRAIN
EAN:5010996348708
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES LDR 86 SNARL (PR)
EAN:5010996348715
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES LDR 86 SOUNDWAVE
EAN: 5010996349880
These were found by user nune over on TFW.
Based on past comments from the Hasbro team, Soundwave is most likely a new mold while Astrotrain is a repaint of the one that's been released a few times now. Nemesis Prime is pretty clearly a retool of this year's AOE Optimus Prime, sporting the knight forearms he gets at the end of AOE, and probably (this part is speculation) a tweaked head sculpt and the arm blade he uses to try and stab Bumblebee in TLK.
After the last 2 years have had no Bayverse leaders at all, it's kinda cool we'll have one for two years in a row! Would definitely like to see a new TLK Bumblebee to go against Nemesis!
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Posted by william-james88 on January 27th, 2025 @ 9:43pm CST
Posted by -Kanrabat- on January 27th, 2025 @ 10:54pm CST
Posted by cloudballoon on January 27th, 2025 @ 10:56pm CST
Soundwave. I'll be happy and willing to replace my Siege Soundwave if the SS86 versions are brand new figures. Hope this leaked Soundwave does the walkman mode justice, sports a clean bot mode and keep the ability to press his own eject button. REALLY shouldn't be that hard.
Astrotrain... similar deal. I'm fine with Siege's for what it is. I like the bot mode and the transformation, but the alt modes are too severely compromised. We now have 3P LEGENDS scale figures that do better jobs than Hasbro's "Leader" class' attempt. Hasbro really need to get us a better Astrotain. AND while they'reat it, re-do Octane.
Posted by Sabrblade on January 27th, 2025 @ 11:21pm CST
Of course, that mold was also recently given a show accurate redeco by TakaraTomy in the Dramatic Capture Series, so we'll have to see what kind of deco differences there are between that one and this one, as they could very well end up being quite similar to each other.
Posted by -Kanrabat- on January 27th, 2025 @ 11:25pm CST
Sabrblade wrote:In a past Hasbro video, Evan said that a SS86 Astrotrain would, more likely than not, just be a redeco of the Siege mold.
Of course, that mold was also recently given a show accurate redeco by TakaraTomy in the Dramatic Capture Series, so we'll have to see what kind of deco differences there are between that one and this one, as they could very well end up being quite similar to each other.
It's lazy and expected.

Posted by Sabrblade on January 27th, 2025 @ 11:40pm CST
Astrotrain simply isn't an important enough character to warrant another mold so soon. He's C-tier, at best, and that's me being generous.-Kanrabat- wrote:Sabrblade wrote:In a past Hasbro video, Evan said that a SS86 Astrotrain would, more likely than not, just be a redeco of the Siege mold.
Of course, that mold was also recently given a show accurate redeco by TakaraTomy in the Dramatic Capture Series, so we'll have to see what kind of deco differences there are between that one and this one, as they could very well end up being quite similar to each other.
It's lazy and expected.
Posted by cloudballoon on January 28th, 2025 @ 12:43am CST
If Soundwave & Astrotrain can't get brand new molds, can we at least get the Springer treatment of extensive retools?
A change of limbs for Soundwave. Rework the abs & lower legs for Astrotrain.
Posted by Sabrblade on January 28th, 2025 @ 12:53am CST

His deco is based more specifically on Astrotrain's pre-final color scheme from "Triple Takeover":

Well here is his final color model, which we can hopefully expect the SS86 toy to be more correctly based on:

Posted by Rodimus Prime on January 28th, 2025 @ 1:07am CST
Posted by Rtron on January 28th, 2025 @ 6:25am CST
I also think that it's not out of the realm of possibility that Astrotrain might be not just a redeco, but a slight retool of the Siege one like Springer.
Nemesis Prime is a cool excuse for a retool. We'll see if he's the first Studio Series movie Optimus to come without a faceplate.
Posted by Emerje on January 28th, 2025 @ 8:44am CST
Sabrblade wrote:Of course, that mold was also recently given a show accurate redeco by TakaraTomy in the Dramatic Capture Series, so we'll have to see what kind of deco differences there are between that one and this one, as they could very well end up being quite similar to each other.
I wonder if Hasbro even cares about this sort of thing. Just look at Jazz. Granted, Jazz is a far more popular character, but he just got the Selects box set release and his own Dramatic Capture release only months ago, now he's getting another SS86 refresh. I feel like he didn't sell all that great during his previous refresh so I'm curious how he does this time.
Rtron wrote:Soundwave could be a new mold, since they've said in the past that they want to do a new one. There's no guarantee, but with the other three Leaders on the list being repacks or probable slight remolds. IF he is a new mold, while I hope he comes with Laserbeak and Ravage, I think there's a possibility he'll only come with one of them. The fact that both Laserbeak and Ravage's main plastic color can be black and Laserbeak's simple transformation makes me somewhat hopeful he might come with both, though. But I'm skeptic, we'll see.
I also think that it's not out of the realm of possibility that Astrotrain might be not just a redeco, but a slight retool of the Siege one like Springer.
Nemesis Prime is a cool excuse for a retool. We'll see if he's the first Studio Series movie Optimus to come without a faceplate.
Evan said towards the beginning of Legacy that if they do a SS86 Soundwave he'd be anew mold to match Kingdom Blaster's height. And if they do a SS86 Astrotrain it would be a repaint of Siege Astrotrain. Personally I'm OK with Astrotrain being a repaint, but it would be nice if they gave him a new accessory that cleaned up the back end of the shuttle.
Emerje
Posted by Till-all-R1 on January 28th, 2025 @ 11:30am CST
Rtron wrote:IF he is a new mold, while I hope he comes with Laserbeak and Ravage, I think there's a possibility he'll only come with one of them. The fact that both Laserbeak and Ravage's main plastic color can be black and Laserbeak's simple transformation makes me somewhat hopeful he might come with both, though. But I'm skeptic, we'll see.
Since ravage came with the recent release I'd really rather he not be in this release, for several reasons. One being it's a horrible looking sculpt, IMO, but I don't expect to see a newly tooled version any time soon. My choice would be Laserbeak and something new even if it's obscure choice. Or even Ratbat if it weren't oddly already coming with Perceptor. Though frankly if it only includes one cassette then it really should be in the Voyager price point.
I might be open to it if both Soundwave and Ravage are all new thus utilizing the available resources from Leader class budget to sculpt a new mold in versus what Voyager class would allow. And TBH, I also think it's time for the Laserbeak mold to get an update for the simple fact that the section on top feels too small plus doesn't include the "lasers cannons". Some improvements definitely could be made now that the Rumble/Frenzy mold has been updated.
Posted by Rtron on January 28th, 2025 @ 11:35am CST
Till-all-R1 wrote:Rtron wrote:IF he is a new mold, while I hope he comes with Laserbeak and Ravage, I think there's a possibility he'll only come with one of them. The fact that both Laserbeak and Ravage's main plastic color can be black and Laserbeak's simple transformation makes me somewhat hopeful he might come with both, though. But I'm skeptic, we'll see.
Since ravage came with the recent release I'd really rather he not be in this release, for several reasons. One being it's a horrible looking sculpt, IMO, but I don't expect to see a newly tooled version any time soon. My choice would be Laserbeak and something new even if it's obscure choice. Or even Ratbat if it weren't oddly already coming with Perceptor. Though frankly if it only includes one cassette then it really should be in the Voyager price point.
I might be open to it if both Soundwave and Ravage are all new thus utilizing the available resources from Leader class budget to sculpt a new mold in versus what Voyager class would allow. And TBH, I also think it's time for the Laserbeak mold to get an update for the simple fact that the section on top feels too small plus doesn't include the "lasers cannons". Some improvements definitely could be made now that the Rumble/Frenzy mold has been updated.
Oh, I was not talking about them repackaging the old Ravage and Laserbeak molds at all, I meant new molds! I was just pondering if it will come with one of them or both of them, and thinking that Laserbeak and Ravage sharing a main color means they can be gang molded and thus, are not as expensive to produce as a duo as it would be to do any other combination of cassettes.
Posted by Rodimus Prime on January 28th, 2025 @ 12:34pm CST
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on January 28th, 2025 @ 12:42pm CST
Posted by -Kanrabat- on January 28th, 2025 @ 1:57pm CST
D-Maximal_Primal wrote:Excited at the prospect of Nemesis prime. Just give me all of the knight prime molds!
Although I don't like the AoE leader Optimus so far, the TLK Nemesis repaint/remold could change my mind.
Posted by TF-fan kev777 on January 28th, 2025 @ 4:42pm CST
Rodimus Prime wrote:If that's the best we'll get of Astrotrain, I might break and buy it, even if the mold is totally subpar. Hopefully they'll do away with the pointless tender and use the extra budget to give us a piece to cover up the atrocious back of the shuttle.
On this, they should see if they can make a transformable cover piece that can somehow be a cover for the back of the shuttle and a full size front of the locomotive.
Posted by william-james88 on January 28th, 2025 @ 4:59pm CST
Ultra Magnus
BBTS https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/ ... 250930?o=1
Ages 3 and up https://www.agesthreeandup.ca/collectio ... us-reissue
Beachcomber
BBTS https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/ ... 236879?o=1
Ages 3 and up https://www.agesthreeandup.ca/collectio ... er-reissue

Posted by Roadbuster on January 28th, 2025 @ 6:08pm CST
Posted by DeathReviews on January 28th, 2025 @ 6:26pm CST
Posted by -Kanrabat- on January 28th, 2025 @ 9:09pm CST
DeathReviews wrote:Beachcomber was sold out in the bare SECONDS it took my minions to put it on Pulse pre order, then navigate to the “payment” page. Thanks a lot, Hasbro..
At the time for the initial release, or right now for the reissue?

Posted by Crosscheck on January 29th, 2025 @ 8:21am CST
Posted by EvasionModeBumblebee on January 29th, 2025 @ 8:42am CST
william-james88 wrote:Thanks for the great article, Evasionmodebumblebee
You’re welcome, happy to help! I’ve actually got another one for you coming up in a second.
Posted by EvasionModeBumblebee on January 29th, 2025 @ 9:40am CST
He also gave a few notes on the figure itself, which I’ve summarized here:
- He gave Que an 8/10 overall and recommended it for anyone looking to complete the DOTM cast or Wheeljack fans in general
- Articulation and detail are both improved over the original deluxe
- The lab coat flaps on the sides of robot mode are hinged, so they can articulate a little bit outwards
- For cons, he notes that the 5mm ports in the hands make it look like he’s holding cups, and that he felt the shoulder kibble was handled better on the original deluxe.
A few of my own notes:
- He does scale accurately for Studio Series! Que is 15 feet tall in the movie (about the same height as Dino and Sideswipe, and a little shorter than Bumblebee). We can see in the pics that this is true of the figures as well.
- We heard that the staff can store on his back, but I think this is our first time seeing it. The pistol can attach to the staff as well, so both can be stored there.
Here’s our first look at Que with the other Studio Series DOTM Autobots!
Posted by EvasionModeBumblebee on January 29th, 2025 @ 9:44am CST
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on January 29th, 2025 @ 3:27pm CST
Posted by Mudwire on January 29th, 2025 @ 7:00pm CST
Posted by TOO MUCH ENERGON! on January 30th, 2025 @ 8:02am CST
Posted by NotFrankeSisto on January 31st, 2025 @ 2:43pm CST
Posted by william-james88 on February 1st, 2025 @ 7:23am CST
Posted by chuckdawg1999 on February 1st, 2025 @ 12:21pm CST
Posted by -Kanrabat- on February 5th, 2025 @ 4:42pm CST
Posted by Cheetron on February 5th, 2025 @ 8:27pm CST
Posted by -Kanrabat- on February 6th, 2025 @ 12:16am CST
Cheetron wrote:Is it a new trend to barely paint the new studio series? I found leader aoe prime to be lacking paint. Now que.
Oh it is far from new. But all that plain, gray plastics with full of intricate details that remains unpainted is sad to see.
Posted by Sabrblade on February 6th, 2025 @ 12:58am CST
I feel like it would be less noticeable if the gray plastic was instead a more striking vibrant shade. Like a more silvery gray similar to the gray that Takara used on their Legends releases of Broadcast and Super Ginrai compared to the more dull tan-ish gray Hasbro used for the Titans Return releases of Blaster and Powermaster Optimus Prime. While the gray used here isn't as tan-ish, it's still a very dull-looking drab shade that really emphasizes the unpainted-ness of the look.-Kanrabat- wrote:Cheetron wrote:Is it a new trend to barely paint the new studio series? I found leader aoe prime to be lacking paint. Now que.
Oh it is far from new. But all that plain, gray plastics with full of intricate details that remains unpainted is sad to see.
Posted by morganprime on February 6th, 2025 @ 6:59am CST
Posted by EvasionModeBumblebee on February 6th, 2025 @ 8:20am CST
Cheetron wrote:Is it a new trend to barely paint the new studio series? I found leader aoe prime to be lacking paint. Now que.
No, I'd say Studio Series (and really every movie toyline) has always been a little lacking in the stock paint department. The movie bots are much more detailed than designs from other media (which is why I like them!), but there just isn't enough paint budget in a mass produced figure to cover all of that detail. Looking to past Studio Series figures, I think AOE Prime and Que are painted pretty well, especially when you compare them to figures like 07 Ratchet or ROTF Bumblebee. None of the prior Bayverse primes (except the PF) have any flames painted specifically for robot mode, while AOE Prime does.
To compare to past movie toylines, AOE Prime is actually painted much better than the previous take on the design, TLK voyager Prime. The alt mode flames are way more accurate and we actually have the flames painted on the robot mode chest this time!
I do think the plastic shades (particularly the grays) could be improved, though. Sam Smith talked a lot about plastic choices in his time on the team, and I think his absence is felt here when you compare these figures to ones he worked on (DOTM Bumblebee, ROTF Sideways, TLK Hot Rod)
Posted by Rtron on February 8th, 2025 @ 9:23am CST
Posted by Emerje on February 8th, 2025 @ 7:30pm CST
Rtron wrote:Just watched a recording of the Megacon panel, they're at least aware that people want Dispensor and the Shockwave from the 2007 game! Though Evan said that Dispensor would be a licensing nightmare, which is to be expected. He did talk a lot about doing stuff for anniversaries and such, so I don't know how much obscure bayverse we'll really get in main Studio Series.
Mention of 2007 game Shockwave was the biggest surprise of all for me. Can't believe they're finally acknowledging the long, long time interest in it.
Emerje