First Look: Rooster Teeth's Transformers: War For Cybertron Trilogy

Autobots, roll out! Catch the first look at Transformers: War For Cybertron, the new series for Netflix by Rooster Teeth.

Wondering where the Transformers, the robots in disguise of toy, TV, and animated fame, have been hiding? Turns out they've been at Austin-based Rooster Teeth, and now here's the first glimpse at the studio's new series about the living robot warriors, Transformers: War for Cybertron.

Last February, streaming giant Netflix and toy firm Hasbroannounced that Rooster Teeth Animation was producing a new series with Japanese studio Polygon Pictures (Transformers Prime, Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Now we have extra details, and the first trailer which debuted this weekend at the New York Toy Fair.

Originally launched in 1984 by Hasbro as a rebranded version of Takara's Diaclone and Microman lines of toys, Transformers has become an international cross-media blockbuster, with endless toys, comics, a Hollywood movie franchise, and dozens of animated series, produced in the U.S. and Japan. This latest show will concentrate on the core conflict between between the Decepticons and the Autobots, and will be broken into three six-episode chapters.

The first arc Siege, picks up at the end of the Great War, as the sinister Megatron (voiced by Jason Marnocha) plans to use the AllSpark - the cosmic force that creates new Transformers - to enforce his new world order. Only the noble leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime (Jake Foushee) can stop him, but what will be the cost?

Here's the rest of the confirmed voice cast:

• Linsay Rousseau (Elita-1)
• Joe Zieja (Bumblebee)
• Frank Todaro (Starscream)
• Rafael Goldstein (Ratchet)
• Keith Silverstein (Jetfire)
• Todd Haberkorn (Shockwave, Red Alert)
• Edward Bosco (Ultra Magnus, Soundwave)
• Bill Rogers (Wheeljack)
• Sophia Isabella (Arcee)
• Brook Chalmers (Impactor)
• Shawn Hawkins (Mirage)
• Kaiser Johnson (Ironhide)
• Miles Luna (Teletraan I, Cliffjumper)
• Mark Whitten (Sideswipe, Skywarp)

F.J. DeSanto (who wrote and produced two Transformers series, Titans Return and Combiner Wars) will serve as showrunner.

The combination of nerd-friendly Rooster Teeth, with its track record of cult-favorite Americanized anime, and Transformers seems liked a pretty natural fit - not least because Rooster Teeth currently hosts the Transformers: Combiner Wars (originally produced by the now-defunct Machinima) at www.roosterteeth.com. Traditionally, it's made series for its own site, but War for Cyberton marks the second show for an outside platform. After screening its mecha-combat show gen:LOCK, last November Rooster Teeth announced that season 2 would debut on HBO Max.

It's also part of a big month for Austin's cartoon industry, as last week Powerhouse Animation unleashed the voice talent roster for its. Huh, what is it about Austin and 1980s toy-based cartoon series (not that we're complaining, but we're just saying we would not be surprised if we get a locally-created revamp of Brave Starr: in fact, that would be pretty cool).

There's no word yet of a release date for Transformers: War for Cybertron: Siege, but here's that trailer to give you a first look at that war.