Hasbro has finally said something out loud about the worst distribution failure of the Transformers year. Nate Purswell, who describes himself on his own account as brand manager on Transformers toys, posted a statement to Instagram on August 15 about the Studio Series MTMTE Collection Starscream, Prowl and Insecticons rollout. It is the first acknowledgement from anyone at Hasbro since Target started cancelling pre-orders on August 4.
Here is the statement in full, in his words, because paraphrasing it would flatter it:
Rewrote this post about 10 times trying to get the words just right. Bottom line, we’re fully aware of your frustrations about the #starscream #prowl #insecticons rollout and we’re actively working to fix it. I get you all have a lot of questions that we just can’t answer at the moment but this is a top priority for our team right now. The goal was and still is to get this figure (and all our figures) into everyone’s collection who wants it. We’re still working to make that happen.
What actually happened
Hasbro revealed the MTMTE Collection on June 4 and opened pre-orders on June 5 at 9AM ET. All three items are Target exclusives in the US market, and all three are pitched at the 40th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie: a Voyager Class Starscream at $42.99, a Deluxe Class Prowl at $27.99, and a three pack of Insecticons, Bombshell, Shrapnel and Kickback, at $79.99. Hasbro’s own copy puts Starscream at 6.75 inches and 27 steps of conversion, with attachable null rays.
On the morning of August 4, cancellation notices started landing. TFW2005 logged multiple reports from around 8AM ET, including from its own staff, and later noted that Prowl and the Insecticons were being cancelled too, at a lower rate than Starscream. The site’s advice at the time was to watch your inbox and to try stores in person, since in store stock was expected to be unaffected.
Hasbro’s official product photography for the release, showing the retail packaging with both modes. The box is the part a lot of people did not get.
What the statement says, and what it does not
It says three things. Hasbro knows. It is being worked on. It is a priority.
It does not say what went wrong, whether the problem was manufacturing, allocation or Target’s own systems, whether cancelled pre-orders will be honoured, whether more stock is coming, or when. Purswell is explicit that there are questions the team cannot answer right now, which is at least honest about the shape of the silence rather than filling it with a date nobody can hold him to.
The comment thread under the post is worth reading on that point. It is not a pile on. The tone is overwhelmingly relief at being acknowledged at all, with several collectors saying they trust Hasbro to sort it the way it sorted earlier Studio Series shortfalls, and one asking the question the statement dodges: why a headline Seeker was a store exclusive in the first place rather than a mainline release.
Where you can buy one today
Nowhere, at list price. Target’s own product page for the Voyager Starscream still shows $42.99 and reads Out of stock with a notify control rather than an add to cart, checked today. The listing also carries a 1.21 out of 5 star rating across 594 ratings, which is an unusual number for a figure most of the people rating it were never able to receive. We have not read the individual reviews, so we are reporting the number on the page rather than a reading of what is in them.
BigBadToyStore has no listing for it, which is what you would expect from a store exclusive. There is no honest buy link for this one, so this post does not carry a fake one. If you want it now, the aftermarket is the only route and prices there are the whole reason this became a story.
For anyone doing the wider 40th anniversary shopping, the Shout! Factory 40th Anniversary DVD of the film is a separate release and is still open for pre-order.
Sources
- Statement on the Starscream, Prowl and Insecticons rollout, Nate Purswell, Hasbro brand manager on Transformers toys, Instagram, August 15, 2026.
- Transformers Studio Series MTMTE Starscream Stock Issue Being Addressed By Hasbro, TFW2005, August 15, 2026.
- Target Pre-Orders for MTMTE Starscream, Prowl Being Cancelled, TFW2005, August 4, 2026.
- Studio Series More Than Meets The Eye Collection Starscream, Prowl and Insecticons 3-Pack Pre-Orders Live, TFW2005, June 5, 2026, for Hasbro’s official pricing and product copy.
- Transformers Studio Series MTMTE Collection Voyager Class Starscream, Target product listing, price and stock status read August 15, 2026.
Product photography: Hasbro, via the Target product listing.