Upper Deck and Hasbro have officially announced a multiyear global licensing partnership covering trading cards and tabletop games, and the first product out of the gate is a Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Edition set built around The Transformers: The Movie.
This is a notable moment for card collectors who follow licensed entertainment product, since it signals Upper Deck expanding well beyond its traditional sports card base into Hasbro's broader toy and entertainment catalog.
Here is what has been confirmed so far about the set itself, where to find it, and what else is coming from this partnership.
The Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Edition set is built around cinematic, poster-inspired card art featuring Autobots and Decepticons from the original animated film. The design leans into an 80s aesthetic that matches the movie's original theatrical era rather than a modern reinterpretation.
A standout chase piece confirmed for the set is a highly limited card signed by Peter Cullen, the original voice actor behind Optimus Prime, giving the release genuine crossover appeal for both card collectors and longtime Transformers fans.
This initial Special Edition set is confirmed as a Target exclusive, releasing in September 2026. That retail exclusivity is a deliberate move to build hype ahead of Upper Deck's larger hobby release planned for later in the partnership, a strategy Upper Deck has used before on other high-profile licensed launches to generate early retail buzz.
Collectors hoping to pick this up should expect Target allocation to be the primary, and possibly only, retail channel for this specific edition, which is a departure from Upper Deck's usual multi-retailer hobby distribution model. Checking local store inventory online before making a special trip is a reasonable precaution given how quickly exclusive retail card releases tend to sell through.
Beyond this Target-exclusive Special Edition, Upper Deck has confirmed a larger 100-card Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary set is planned for hobby shops, featuring retro Fleer branding and its own set of unique insert cards.
That hobby release gives traditional card shop customers and break participants a separate entry point into the Transformers 40th Anniversary line beyond the Target-exclusive product, likely with different chase cards and rarity structure. A hobby box format also typically means better odds at hits per box compared to the more limited retail Special Edition packaging, which matters for collectors who break at scale rather than buying single packs.
Upper Deck and Hasbro have signaled this Transformers release is just the opening product in a much longer collaboration, with future card collections planned around Power Rangers, G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., and Jem and the Holograms already confirmed as upcoming.
For collectors building a Hasbro-adjacent card collection, this means the Transformers 40th Anniversary set is likely to be the first of several licensed drops worth tracking from Upper Deck over the next few years. Getting in early on the Transformers line, given its status as the flagship launch product for the partnership, may carry added long-term collector interest compared to later entries once the novelty of the deal itself has worn off.
Given the signed Peter Cullen card and other limited inserts confirmed for this set, protecting a chase pull the moment it's opened matters. The one-touch magnetic trading and game card holder is built for exactly this scenario, holding a premium card securely between magnetic panels without the pressure risk of a snap-together toploader.
Collectors focused purely on the signed autograph card or the specific Special Edition art should prioritize the Target exclusive, since it will not appear in the later hobby release. Collectors who care more about high-volume breaking or a wider insert set may prefer waiting for the 100-card hobby product instead. Splitting a budget across both releases is also reasonable for collectors who want a shot at both the Special Edition art and the broader hobby checklist without fully committing to one over the other.
It is confirmed as a Target exclusive for its initial September 2026 release.
Yes, a larger 100-card hobby set with retro Fleer branding is planned to follow.
A highly limited card signed by Peter Cullen, the original Optimus Prime voice actor.
No, Power Rangers, G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., and Jem and the Holograms are already confirmed for future releases.
Whether you land the signed Optimus Prime card or a standout insert from the hobby release, secure it right away in a one-touch magnetic card holder before it ever leaves your hands.
!
