The game takes place in an alternate timeline, where the events of Fall of Cybertron have occurred before the Ark is launched. The story begins with the object known as the Dark Spark crashing on Earth, attracting the attention of Lockdown, a mercenary who manages to reach the artifact first. Drift, an Autobot, is sent to investigate and soon finds himself at the center of a battle for control of the Dark Spark.
Players can also engage in cooperative online multiplayer mode called Escalation, working together with up to three other players to destroy waves of enemies on eight maps. The multiplayer mode features over 40 characters to choose from, including different models based on the movie and game universe. The experience and leveling system is shared between single-player and multiplayer modes.