The "Transformers" franchise is in the spotlight with the launch of a new movie in 2017. Building on this hype is a brand new mobile game titled "Transformers: Forged to Fight," which will be released in Spring 2017.
In an interview with Gamespot, Kabam Executive Producer Mike McCartney explained that the game will be an action-fighting game that featured collectible characters and RPG mechanics. The game will also be free to play but will feature microtransactions.
McCartney explained that microtransactions would not have a large impact on player's experience. This ensures players who spend won't have an unfair advantage over those who don't. This reflects a new trend in games in which microtransactions are mainly for exclusive characters or cosmetic purposes only. "Halo 5: Guardians" and "Street Fighter V" have utilized this approach as well.
He further explains that the game will feature characters from multiple iterations of the "Transformers" series. As stated in a report from Destructoid, the game takes material from over three decades of source material.
Players could collect and encounter two or more versions of Optimus Prime, such as his iteration in the live-action films, the G1 cartoon or the IDW comic books. This will apply for all of the characters in the game. Each version of a character will also play differently instead of merely having cosmetic differences.
The robots can also transform between their vehicle form and robot form at will during combat, allowing players to create unique combos and fighting styles. Snippets of this combat system have been shown in the announcement trailer.
In regards to the RPG mechanics, characters will go through traditional one-on-one battles and can earn experience points to level up and gain new abilities. There will be a story campaign, involving Optimus Prime returning to Cybertron and getting whisked away into a mysterious planet.
Kabam has reportedly been working hand-in-hand with Hasbro to ensure that the game stays true to the source material. McCartney stated that Hasbro and "Transformers" experts were consulted to ensure each character is properly represented in the game.
No official release date has yet been announced but the game is scheduled to launch sometime in Spring 2017.