Universe (2008 franchise)

Universe is a Transformers franchise without a clearly-defined continuity or storyline attatched. The previous line to use the name was attatched to a specific continuity-spanning story spinning out of older Botcon material. That line largly ended out in 2005 (though a small number of toys featuring its logo trickled into clearence stores through 2007). At Botcon 2007 Hasbro announced a new Universe line without an overall storyarch, which would instead act as a catch-all banner for any toys that didn't belong in the regular Animated universe line.

The line's first offerings in 2008 will apparently be a set of Generation 1 and Beast Wars inspired Robot Heroes and a continuation of the [[Classics] toyline.

In January 2008 Hasbro launched a webpage for the new Universe line, featuring a preview of the first wave of new Classics and a CGI reimagining of the battle between Megatron and Prime from the original animated Transformers movie.