The Transformers' war continues in an older time, through a new generation. On pliocenic Earth, the heroic Maximals and the evil Predacons battle for survival against each other and against a violent planet.
A band of benevolent Maximals track a pack of power-seeking Predacons to a mysterious planet. When they both crash-land, they establish themselves upon the planet and clash, commencing the Beast Wars.
A large mountain containing the precious mineral Energon is discovered. This leads to a race between the Maximals and Predacons that culminates in a brawl between beasts.
When Cheetor messes up an important mission, he decides to fix it on his own. But when he is lured into Tarantulas's net of deceit and torture, Rattrap is the only one who can save him.
The Maximals try to place a Predacon detection system during an Energon storm and Cheetor somehow ends up in the Darksyde, while Terrorsaur ends up in the Axalon.
Optimus Primal is abducted by an otherwordly probe, leaving the Maximals leaderless. Amidst their bickering and squabbling, the Predacons prepare to launch an attack.
Terrorsaur discovers a floating mountain, rich with the mineral Energon. With a surge in his power, he scraps Megatron and takes control over the Predacons.
A stasis pod, containing the spark-soul of a robot, lands on Earth. Both Maximals and Predacons race against time to claim the spark as one of their own.
After being led into a trap and losing a stasis pod to the Predacons, Dinobot accuses Rattrap of working with the Predacons as the Maximal that led them there.
A prank from Rattrap causes the Maximal ship to turn on its residents with its new defenses. Determined to fix his fault, Rattrap journeys into the malfunctioning ship to reboot the system.
Scorponok plants a personality-modifying virus on Optimus Primal which will render him a cowardly, submissive weakling. But the virus malfunctions, and Primal gets very, very angry.