# Stern Pinball Places Venom in the Vault; Will We Get a Transformers Anniversary Edition?; Lego Donkey Kong

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2026-07-14  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/blog/stern-pinball-places-venom-in-the-vault-will-we-get-a-transformers-anniversary-edition-lego-donkey-kong

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## Analysis

Stern Pinball has Venom (2023), removing it from production for a minimum of two years. A Taiwanese distributor listing hints at a potential Transformers Anniversary Edition celebrating the franchise's 40th anniversary in 2026, featuring special mirrored backglass and numbered plaques. Separately, a Lego Donkey Kong arcade cabinet kit has leaked with specs of 1,367 pieces and a $200 price point, launching in August.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Stern Pinball announced it is placing the 2023 Brian Eddy-designed game Venom into its Vault — _Knapp Arcade article; official Stern announcement via stream with Jack Danger, Brian Eddy, and Dwight Sullivan_
- [HIGH] Venom has been removed from active production and will remain in the vault for a minimum of two years without any guarantee of returning — _Stern Vault Program official terms quoted in article_
- [MEDIUM] A Taiwanese distributor shows four versions of Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye — Pro, Premium, Limited Edition, and an 'Anniversary Edition' — _Knapp Arcade reporting on distributor website listing; unconfirmed by Stern directly_
- [HIGH] 2026 represents the 40th Anniversary of Transformers: The Movie, which hit theaters in 1986 — _Historical fact; confirmed by 4K re-release scheduled September 17-21, 2026_
- [HIGH] Stern is scheduled to share a booth at San Diego Comic-Con with Rising Phoenix Music, July 23-26 — _Knapp Arcade article citing scheduled appearance_
- [MEDIUM] A Lego Donkey Kong arcade cabinet kit has leaked and will be released in August with 1,367 pieces and a $200 price point — _Reddit leak; rumor attribution; not officially confirmed by Lego_

### Notable Quotes

> "For some reason I thought that Stern had Venom already. Sales of it have definitely been slow, but to be honest with you I kind of want a Venom Premium. I love the mechs in that game."
> — **Knapp Arcade**, Early in article
> _Personal opinion on Venom's commercial performance and design merits; indicates continued interest despite weak sales_

> "As part of the Stern Vault Program, Venom has been removed from active production and will remain in the vault for a minimum of two years without any guarantee of returning."
> — **Stern Pinball Inc.**, Mid-article
> _Official policy definition for vaulting; establishes timeline and permanence uncertainty_

> "2026 does represent the 40th Anniversary of the Transformers: The Movie, which hit theaters in 1986. That anniversary is being celebrated with the 4K re-release of the animated movie in theaters from September 17th through the 21st."
> — **Jason Knapp (speculation/analysis)**, Mid-article
> _Contextual analysis connecting anniversary timing to potential special edition release_

> "Stern Pinball Inc. is going to do a special version of its new pin with art from the movie? That's just speculation on my part, but it's something to keep an eye out for."
> — **Knapp Arcade**, Mid-article
> _Author explicitly disclaims speculation about Anniversary Edition design but flags it as noteworthy_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Stern Pinball | company | Major pinball manufacturer; announced Venom vaulting and producing Transformers pinball |
| Venom | game | 2023 Marvel-themed Stern Pinball game designed by Brian Eddy; just placed in Vault after slow sales |
| Jack Danger | person | Stern Pinball Head of Community; appeared in Venom Vault celebration stream |
| Brian Eddy | person | Designer of Venom pinball machine |
| Dwight Sullivan | person | Code designer at Stern; worked on Venom; appeared in celebration stream |
| Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye | game | Latest Stern Pinball game; rumored to have Anniversary Edition variant tied to 40th anniversary of 1986 film |
| [name withheld pending review] | product | 1986 animated film; 40th anniversary in 2026; 4K re-release scheduled September 17-21, 2026 |
| San Diego Comic-Con | event | Annual pop culture event; Stern Pinball scheduled to share booth July 23-26, 2026 |
| Rising Phoenix Music | company | Company sharing booth with Stern at Comic-Con |
| Knapp Arcade | person | Administrator of Knapp Arcade news/media platform; author of this article |
| Lego | company | Toy company producing arcade-themed building kits; Donkey Kong cabinet kit in development |
| Donkey Kong | game | Classic arcade game; Lego building kit version leaked with 1,367 pieces, $200 price, August launch |
| Knapp Arcade | organization | Pinball news and media platform run by Jason Knapp; published this article |

### Signals

- **[product_strategy]** Stern Pinball placing Venom into Vault after weak commercial performance; minimum 2-year removal from production with no guarantee of return (confidence: high) — Official Stern Vault Program announcement; vaulting of underperforming 2023 title
- **[market_signal]** Venom experienced significant commercial underperformance and sales weakness, prompting vault placement (confidence: high) — Author notes 'Sales of it have definitely been slow'; machine being vaulted after only ~3 years in production
- **[leak_detection]** Transformers Anniversary Edition variant spotted on Taiwanese distributor website; features special mirrored backglass, numbered plaque, CoA, and anniversary lighting effects (confidence: medium) — Distributor website listing; unconfirmed by Stern directly; author explicitly notes 'first that I've heard about' potential Anniversary Edition
- **[announcement]** Transformers 40th anniversary (2026) coincides with 4K theatrical re-release; potential tie-in to pinball Anniversary Edition (confidence: medium) — 4K re-release confirmed September 17-21, 2026; distributor listing hints at anniversary edition; timing alignment
- **[event_signal]** Stern Pinball sharing booth at San Diego Comic-Con July 23-26, 2026 with Rising Phoenix Music; potential product reveals (confidence: high) — Confirmed scheduled appearance; author speculates about topper reveals or Transformers variants
- **[product_launch]** Lego releasing Donkey Kong arcade cabinet building kit in August 2026; follows earlier Pac-Man cabinet kit (2023) (confidence: medium) — Reddit leak of product image; rumored specs of 1,367 pieces and $200 price; not officially confirmed
- **[sentiment_shift]** Author expresses ongoing interest in Venom despite poor sales, highlighting appreciation for mechanical design and code quality (confidence: high) — Quote: 'I kind of want a Venom Premium. I love the mechs in that game. It's super fast and has cool code'
- **[product_concern]** Venom underperformed commercially, leading to vault placement; indicates potential market saturation or IP selection issues (confidence: high) — Author's explicit statement about slow sales; timing of vault placement ~3 years after 2023 release

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## Transcript

News Stern Pinball Places Venom in the Vault; Will We Get a Transformers Anniversary Edition?; Lego Donkey Kong k knapparcade July 14, 2026 Yesterday Stern Pinball announced that it is placing the 2023 Brian Eddy-designed game Venom into its proverbial Vault. For some reason I thought that Stern had Vaulted Venom already. Sales of it have definitely been slow, but to be honest with you I kind of want a Venom Premium. I love the mechs in that game. It's super fast and has cool code that carries over from game to game. To commemorate the Vaulting (is that the right way to say it? Hmmm) of this game, Stern did one last stream of it with Jack Danger and the design team, Brian Eddy and Dwight Sullivan, which I have embedded below along with some pictures that I took of a Venom Limited Edition. We are Venom! Join us for one last adventure to celebrate Venom by Stern Pinball's inclusion into the vault. Watch our team wreak havoc with the world's greatest anti-hero one last time in this celebratory gameplay video! As part of the Stern Vault Program, Venom has been removed from active production and will remain in the vault for a minimum of two years without any guarantee of returning. These games won't be available forever, so contact for availability before it's too late! Venom Pinball Vault Celebration Stream - YouTube Tap to unmute Venom Pinball Vault Celebration Stream Stern Pinball Stern Pinball !Advertisement Ad 1 of 3 Speaking of Stern, someone sent me this over the weekend. The company's Taiwanese distributor shows four versions of Stern's latest game Teansformers: More Than Meets the Eye on its website...Pro, Premium, Limited Edition...AND an "Anniversary Edition." Hmmmm. The description of the Anniversary Edition says the following: \- 40th Anniversary special commemorative edition \- Full-color special mirrored backglass \- Numbered plaque + special Certificate of Authenticity \- Expression Lighting™ anniversary effects Are we getting some sort of special Anniversary Edition of Transformers pinball? This is the first that I've hear about there potentially being one. 2026 does represent the 40th Anniversary of the Transformers: The Movie, which hit theaters in 1986. That anniversary is being celebrated with the 4K re-release of the animated movie in theaters from September 17th through the 21st. Maybe Stern is going to do a special version of its new pin with art from the movie? That's just speculation on my part, but it's something to keep an eye out for. New sponsor slot Your sponsored ad here Be the first to claim this placement. Contact knapparcade@gmail.com today Transformers Taiwan Once again, Stern is scheduled to share a booth at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con with Rising Phoenix Music. I wonder if they will show off anything new at the show, which takes place from July 23rd through the 26th? It's obviously too soon for a whole new game, but they could easily show off a topper for Dungeons and Dragons or some other game or a new version of Transformers. We'll see... Stern Pinball Comic-Con * Last up, fresh on the heels of Lego's working pinball machine kit, word has leaked that another arcade-related kit is being released in August. This one is for a Donkey Kong arcade cabinet. The image of it below was leaked on Reddit. It appears to be a little simpler than the Pac-Man Lego arcade cabinet that was released back in 2023. Rumor has it that the new Donkey Kong cab will have 1,367 pieces and cost $200. Posted 30 minutes ago k About knapparcade Site administrator Comments (0) Please sign in to join the conversation. No comments yet Be the first to share your thoughts on this post! Related Articles Stern Pinball Places Venom in the Vault; Will We Get a Transformers Anniversary Edition?; Lego Donkey Kong 30 minutes ago Dungeon Crawler Carl AND Another Mystery Game are Coming from Multimorphic! about 20 hours ago Dungeon Crawler Carl Pinball to Be Revealed 7/27?; Tales of the Arabian Nights Remake on the Line 1 day ago Subscribe to Updates Get the latest pinball news, blog posts, and event announcements delivered to your inbox Subscribe !Advertisement Ad 2 of 3 New sponsor slot Your sponsored ad here Be the first to claim this placement.

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v5)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-04 | Item ID: 5c52d0aa-549b-494e-87a3-19a92e7cdea2*