As humanity picks up the pieces, following the conclusion of "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Autobots and Decepticons have all but vanished from the face of the planet. However, a group of powerful, ingenious businessman and scientists attempt to learn from past Transformer incursions and push the boundaries of technology beyond what they can control - all while an ancient, powerful Transformer menace sets Earth in his cross-hairs.

The Autobots continue to work for NEST, now no longer in secret. But after discovering a strange artifact during a mission in Chernobyl, it becomes apparent to Optimus Prime that the United States government has been less than forthright with them.

The first season introduces the epic conflict between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. After their home world of Cybertron becomes depleted, the war continues on Earth, where the Transformers reawaken in 1984. Led by the wise Optimus Prime, the Autobots befriend humans like Spike Witwicky and his father Sparkplug, striving to protect their new home and its resources. Meanwhile, the power-hungry Megatron and his Decepticons seek to plunder Earth's energy to conquer the universe. The season follows the initial battles and skirmishes as both factions become accustomed to their new environment.