Well, we are getting Blackout and Rodimus...Hasbro says we will get Season 3 characters all throughout 2009 but I wouldn't hold your breath. Someone confirmed we won't be getting Strika though. I don't think we'll be getting Hot Shot or Cyclonus either since they have recent toys in Universe. I think we will get Wheeljack though, Hasbro hinted we were getting a Wheeljack toy and with Universe ending, perhaps that means Animated Wheeljack.
They've said they will. Arcee is slated to be released mid to late this year along with a few others.
There is no official release date for any new animated figures. And no leaked prototypes have surfaced for any of the new characters except for cybertron Ratchet. We will have to wait for Botcon for the truth. And just to recap what we know about each figure: Arcee: Made it to her prototype phase and showed up in the walmart computers months ago as "Arcee Sleek Car" and was available for preorders that were soon canceled. Electrostatic Soundwave, Gofire Grimlock & Hydrodive Bumblebee: Also made it to prototype phase and showed up in the walmart computers. Preorders were also canceled. Soundwave may still show up in later waves but the other two were officially shelved. Rodimus prime & Blackout: No prototype only showed in walmart computer. Strika, Spittor, Red alert, Hot Shot, Cyclonus, Sari, and and many others have never been mentioned as toys.
You have that backwards. I'd much rather have Universe incarnations of the characters. I mostly only buy Animated if they don't have a Universe version of the character.
ani arcee and electrostatic shockwave are still happening, along with possibly hydro b and golfire. any others as of now have no real confirmation.
I want to see both lines continue myself. I know Hasbro has put a lot of time and effort into ROTF, so everything has to go into hibernation as a result, but at the same time, I would love to see new waves of Universe and Animated along side ROTF. Now at the same time my wallet won't. it's hard enough collecting 2 toy lines... 3 would be impossible. Anyway, I really do hope we get to see more Season 3 characters. I am really looking forward to Arcee, Rodimus and Black Out, but I would love to see more. Like Warpath, Alpha Trion, Strike, Spittor, Grandus and Flareup. I think it would be really cool if we got toys of those characters as well. As much as I love Wheeljack and I am a huge Wheeljack fan, I would prefer to see a Universe version of him, mostly because I want a Wheeljack toy that fits in with the look of Classics/Universe.
A thought did occur... Universe has no cartoon tie in yet it has a toy line (yes I realise they're basically updates on the G1 chracters but still) Maybe the intention is to continue Animated as a toyline even if the cartton ends. Theres nothing to stop Wyatt doing freelance design work for hasbro even if hes working on another animated series for CN. This could be the reason for a lot of the confusion surrounding the cartoon and the toyline. And just to add fuel to this theory...theres an awful lot of cameos in the series all of a sudden.
If you were a fan like Wyatt is and knew the series was ending wouldn't you being doing the same just as fanservice?
Takara should take the relay for Animated toys if Hasbro doesn't want to produce them. I mean, what's on Takara's plate other than a few random ROTF straight repackages/slight redecos, Alternity Megatron and the few "Label" toys? Not much.
Maybe hasbo is true to their word and we will get all the remaining figures. Cybertron ratchet has had a lot of screen time and of course there is the inevitable ironhide repaint.
