Before time was recorded, Primus and Unicron, the embodiment of order and chaos, battle for eons in a pull and push fight that seems to have no end in sight. To try and turn the tide, Primus created The Thirteen, Solus Prime building many weapons and icons of power for them to use. At the urging of Megatronus Prime, she created a great weapon to fight Unicron, although Solus herself worried that this power could corrupt them. Ultimately, the Primes defeat Unicron, and the Chaos Bringer's inert form drifts off into space, where it later forms the core of Earth. His fossilized blood, spilled in this conflict, comes to be known as Dark Energon. Following the defeat of Unicron, Primus becomes one with the Core of Cybertron, and gives life to future Transformers through the All-Spark, located within the Well of All-Sparks.

Very little is known about this span of time, but what is known about the Primes is that their war made "enemies of brothers, murderers of lovers, heroes of the insignificant, and cowards of the mighty". Allegiances formed and broke apart: Megatronus refused to bow before his brothers, and he believed he would be vindicated someday despite his destructive methods. The murder of one, using the very weapon Solus had created, sent them across the stars, to battle among themselves for billions of cycles. Finally, there came a time when Prima had to relinquish the Matrix. Afterwards, the Covenant of Primus decreed Cybertron could only have one Prime at a time. Alpha Trion remained on Cybertron, recording these events into the Covenant, and the Primes became myths doubted by some.

The Quintessons invaded Cybertron and interfered with the development of the planet's occupants. The aliens modify the bodies of their new servants to serve their own ends, such as installing cockpits on the bodies of the Seekers. This period becomes known as the Age of Wrath. The Age of Wrath came to an end when the Quintessons were overthrown by Guardian Prime - the first to carry the Matrix of Leadership. This Guardian was given no name beyond his title and led a revolution against the Quints. He was ultimately killed in the final battles of the revolution and his body, and name, was lost to the Undergrid.

The Matrix of Leadership therefore passed into repute and legend and the line of Primes from then on were in name only. Many Primes came to power through autocratic succession, notably Nova Prime (the first to build an Ark and turn to expansionism), and finally Sentinel Zeta Prime of the Elite Guard, under whom the Golden Age began.

The Golden Age brought sweeping changes to Cybertronian social structure and hierarchy. Zeta Prime took control of government and ushered in a new era for Cybertronian civilization, by instating the High Council. Under his rule, the space bridge project allowed trailblazing Cybertronians to colonize faraway worlds. The construction of the spaceport on the Hydrax Plateau began, and Moonbases One and Two are constructed on the moons of Cybertron.

The first Cybertronian data cylinders are created, which store the accumulated knowledge of Cybertronian society. However, the Golden Age draws to a close as the space bridges begin to fail and other cracks begin to show in Cybertronian civilization. Before long, the space bridge project is abandoned and Cybertronian society turns inward.

In the waning years of the Golden Age, the caste system is implemented, where civilian guilds oversee and assign newly created Transformers to jobs, and it eventually became a major social institution under the urging of Sentinel Zeta Prime. These controversial reorganizations did not go unnoticed, though, and many newly born Transformers become dissatisfied with their lot in life, some seeking change. Cybertron's culture and society stagnates greatly as a result; the dynamic architecture and artwork that characterize older eras of society are replaced by dull, drab buildings.

The city-states of Kaon and Slaughter City, populated mostly by low-caste miners and workers, soon turned to gladiatorial combat as a way to escape from the drudgery of their lives. The High Council, aware of why the games began, did nothing to stop them. One particularly powerful warrior, an Energon miner formerly known as D-16, took on the name Megatronus in honour of the Prime of the same name, but later shortened it to Megatron. Megatron strove to topple the stifling caste system, and made his points known, gathering a group of followers that includes fellow gladiator Soundwave and scientist Shockwave.

It is during this transitional time that Megatronus encountered Orion Pax, a data clerk in the Iacon Hall of Records. They originally correspond solely through digital media, arguing and debating their views, before meeting in person and becoming long-time allies. Orion, inspired by the gladiator's words, took them to spark and used his position in the Halls to get access to information and forward Megatronus' cause. With Soundwave's aid, he becomes an anonymous voice on the Communication Grid rallying for massive, but peaceful, protests in support of Megatronus. His radical, but less violent-seeming and more intellectual support of the movement garners support even from the middle and upper class. He eventually went public with his identity.

Megatronus' influence quickly spread, the former miner rising rapidly above his station and gathering a million mech movement ranging from anti-government radicals to senators of the Iacon city-state. Eventually, he is allowed to speak before the High Council as a representative of the people, bringing Orion Pax with him to bear witness as Iacon archivist and his brother in the revolution. Both mechs spoke out before the Council but to their surprise, Orion is named a de facto Prime under the current Prime, Zeta, and tasked with recovering the long lost Matrix of Leadership.

Megatronus, angered by the Council's actions, severed all ties with them... and Orion. There is some debate that the overseer at the Iacon Hall of Records and Orion's mentor, Alpha Trion, may have spoken to them on his behalf. Furthermore, there is speculation that Orion was made Prime as a political gambit to split the lower-caste uprising and position the Iacon-built Orion as a figure head for the people. Shortly thereafter, Orion is assigned as military commander under Zeta to help suppress the increasingly violent working class uprising a move Orion protested until civilian casualty begins to climb. Then the Tower Bombings, the first openly Decepticon strike against the Primacy, kills upwards of 5000 civilians - opening the flood gates to full military action. The war begins.

The war took Cybertron by storm, and before long battle lines are drawn as various city-states declare their allegiances or declare neutrality. Those under Optimus Prime - a force comprised primarily of the Cybertronian military, police, and middle to upper class civilians - make up the Autobot forces. Those under Megatron - a force comprised of the working class, the dissatisfied, and any enemies of the Primacy - make up the Decepticons. The Autobots maintain control of the most important locations on Cybertron, including Iacon and Kalis. Special operations forces assemble on both sides, such as the Wreckers on the Autobot side and the Decepticon Justice Division and Squadron X.

During this time there are incomplete military records that suggest Optimus and Zeta Prime were constantly at odds, the Autobots following Optimus in spirit and morale while Zeta himself commanded the army as a whole as supreme general. Some military analysts suggest Zeta Prime tasked Optimus with impossible military objectives... and Optimus still achieved them. Others credit Zeta Prime with utilizing the de facto Prime's natural talent, but Zeta and Optimus were often seen as rivals. As the war presses on, the greater numbers of the Decepticon uprising began to overwhelm the Autobot's initial military and technological superiority.

During this time, Optimus Prime survived an assassination attempt by Skyquake at the Battle of Technahar, Arcee and her combat partner Tailgate are captured by the Decepticon Airachnid (Although Arcee is rescued by Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, they are too late to save Tailgate), many cities are destroyed utterly in the carnage (Crystal City destroyed in the fourth offensive of the war) and Praxus, locked in a stalemate is razed not long afterwards. Many dangerous weapons, such as the Cybonic plague, are developed by the Decepticon Biological Warfare Program.

As the war continues, the Autobots are gradually outnumbered and outgunned, and in an act of desperation they are forced to launch the All-Spark, denying the Decepticons of a method to generate more Transformers. All Cybertronians sparked directly before this event are known as the Last Sparked. The data cylinders are also ejected from Cybertron to prevent Decepticons from using the vital knowledge within. Bumblebee loses his voice at Tiger Pax due to interrogation by Megatron, though he is saved by Ratchet, a field medic.

No one is totally certain how, but at some point shortly after the death of Zeta Prime, who is killed ultimately at Megatronus' hands, Orion travels to the depths of Cybertron in an attempt to purify its core. Once there, Primus gives Orion the legendary Matrix of Leadership, an item which not only symbolizes his legitimacy as a Prime but which also transforms him physically into Optimus Prime. Then the core goes dark, and Cybertron died.

The battle for Cybertron raged on for eons longer as the Autobots and Decepticons battle over the remaining resources left on Cybertron's dying shell. A means to rejuvenate the planet are sought but never found and slowly the battles begin to spread farther and farther off world, more and more of their people abandoning Cybertron as it deteriorates. Other worlds, a young earth included, are seeded with Energon. During this period, Skyquake is dispatched to Earth to guard its potential Energon resources. However, the planet's Energon terraforming process takes too long. Most of the Cybertronians there eventually leave or enter stasis lock as long-term sleeper guardians. Earth is abandoned and forgotten as a failed attempt.

Cybertronians become feared in most organics space as war mongers and there is a general unwillingness for most civilized planets to get involved. During this time, the Tyrest Accord is developed and becomes one of the few binding truces between the Autobots and the Decepticons.

It is around this time during the last 1000 years of that war that Cybertronians begin to desperately seek alternate fuel sources and compete for trade rights for minor off-world Energon sources belonging to other species. As the battle for resources and the record of atrocity on both sides mounts (and the now finite population shrinks) the war escalates from civil war to campaign extermination on the Decepticon side. This triggers the events known as the Simanzi Massacre and the Endless Retaliation and the worst war crimes of the Great War are committed, Cybonic Plague, Babu Yar and worse. The population is decimated.

The Cybertronian race is blacklisted by the Galactic Council. Cybertronians seeking asylum from the war are only granted such if they prove Neutrality and non-combatant status, fuel trade is restricted to Neutrals. Fuel rights become a divisive factor among Cybertronians.

Eventually, a complete exodus from a now uninhabitable Cybertron is ordered after almost 4 million years since the start of the War. Preparations were made to flee the planet, the Autobots aiding all cooperative Neutrals and non-essential Autobot military off-world and through Decepticon blockades. Eventually, they took the Ark (named after the first Ark built by Nova Prime) through one of the last space bridges salvaged by Shockwave to Earth as a last Energon source, closely pursued in turn by Megatron as his Decepticons in the Nemesis. The Ark was badly damaged, only just surviving the drop into the fringe of Earth's local galaxy. Many Autobots were jettisoned in escape pods and drop ships, scattering or lost. Finally, the Ark with a skeleton crew including Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Optimus burn out the ship core to make a final quantum jump to Earth where they Ark crash lands.

The war has since moved to Earth. The Decepticons began mining the Energon deposits left there with the intention of using it to restore Cybertron. Starscream was tasked by Megatron with recreating and stabilizing the lost space bridge technology, so that the Energon can be quickly transferred between planets. After scouring the galaxy on this mission, the Air Commander returned to their home planet with a number of troops to construct a space bridge. Bulkhead, Ratchet, and Bumblebee - secretly ally themselves with the United States government. They were assigned William Fowler as their liaison, and provided with an abandoned missile silo as a base in exchange for keeping the Decepticon threat contained. A great deal of Cybertronian technology is installed there, including a ground bridge of Ratchet's design.

Now having a base, Optimus Prime sent a message into space, calling all Autobots to the new battleground. Arcee and Cliffjumper were both investigating the Decepticon activity on the desolate Cybertron when they received the message. They hijacked Starscream's space bridge to travel to Earth, before destroying it. The Air Commander followed them through, but, after a brief confrontation, the two Autobots are able to join up with Team Prime and scan new terrestrial alternate modes. Megatron then left Earth with the intention of gathering a new army. The Decepticons, under Starscreams rule, avoided conflict with the Autobots, and continued to secretly mine the planet's Energon, along with constructing a new space bridge in orbit. During his three year journey, Megatron found a far greater prize than new troops: solidified crystals of Dark Energon.

On Earth, hostilities between the Autobots and Decepticons resurfaced when Cliffjumper is executed by Starscream, only to be reanimated by Megatron with the power of Dark Energon. Then, a series of accidents draws three humans, Jack Darby, Raf Esquivel, and Miko Nakadai, into the mayhem. Eventually, Megatron's plan is revealed, to reanimate the thousands of dead Transformers on Cybertron and transport them to Earth via the orbital space bridge, but this is ultimately foiled by the Autobots. Megatron himself is caught in the explosion of the bridge as it is destroyed, but survived thanks to the presence of Dark Energon now plaguing his body. Megatron's wounded form is discovered by Starscream after a failed attempt to bring Skyquake under his control, attempting to kill him, but Soundwave's presence compels him to put the Decepticon leader in stasis in the Nemesis's sick bay instead. Wheeljack, now an interstellar nomad, briefly arrived on Earth, but after a run-in with Makeshift, he departed.

A new foe then surfaced, the mysterious human terrorist organization MECH introducing a second antagonistic party for Autobot and Decepticon alike. Knock Out and his partner Breakdown arrived on Earth to aid with Megatron's repairs. Airachnid, too, lands on Earth to rekindle her standing grudge against Arcee and collect some "specimens", but she is stranded on Earth when her ship is destroyed by Jack and Arcee.

Events came to a head when Optimus Prime and Ratchet detected an ancient Autobot distress signal, and came across an abandoned Autobot ship infected with cybonic plague. Optimus ends up contaminated, and to find a cure for the sickness Bumblebee and Arcee are forced to infiltrate the Nemesis and enter the mind of a stasis locked Megatron. However, Megatron manages to download himself into Bumblebee's consciousness, and by taking control of the Autobot's body he restored his original body with Dark Energon and uploads his mind back into it, restoring himself to life. Megatron grievously wounds Starscream sometime after this as punishment, but Starscream makes another play for power by reanimating Skyquake's corpse, which ends in failure.

MECH then entered the picture again, first capturing and mutilating Breakdown and later teaming up with Airachnid to lure Arcee into a trap. Both of these end in failure for MECH.

This is where our game begins.