I've seen unofficial slightly underpriced runs of MP-24 Star Saber, MP-27 Ironhide, MP-29 Shockwave and MP-32 Optimus Primal. It also makes me wonder that the MP-33 is also getting one soon.

I did buy an Ironhide and while its box is a bit worn, it does have the Hasbro.CN label underneath it.

Are these just unauthorised batches from the Takara factories and people were just making them from the official moulds?

Sometimes they could also be considered as factory seconds as seen with the Shockwave and also Play Arts Star Wars figures.

 

 

 

Close comparisons show some mold differences, more than likely they are reverse engineered molds or defects with reworked parts.

 

J/K

 

Again it really depends. The first testshots of Hot Rod had clear windshield and clear visor and a small mold difference on the front end. These were also found significantly before he was released. Then the final release came out with a blue windshield and I started seeing the clear one being sold as factory stock. Same thing with Shockwave, I got one months before it was released and people keep referring to it as a KO. The seller I bought it from doesn't sell KOs and had unpainted prototypes as well. As there was no way a KO maker could have gotten their hands on the mold at that point. It's the same thing as a lot of the loose TR figs from China. They are either early pre-release final samples or factory seconds. Now that's not to say there aren't KOs. Hotrod just got KO'ed and he actually comes with a clear visor, but a blue winshield.