THE Retired Report – The Year That Was 2025
Well hello there all you fanatical hobbyists, I’m Cubby and this is the Retired Report. You old schoolers will know exactly who I am, for you noobies, welp, just buckle on in I guess. 🙂 Remember, all of these are just my opinions, and not necessarily those of Big Squid.
Last year in 2024, Team Associated/Thunder Tiger pushed it hard all year and simply crushed it. So what did they do for 2025? They turned it up yet another notch! 2025 saw Team Associated absolutely send it, putting out what felt like a new release every single week. AE again pushed the vintage theme, but in 2025, they pushed it even harder. Of course the AE crew put out a bunch of vintage machines, including a Masami RC10 just a couple of weeks ago, then they took that vintage vibe into other products. A few weeks ago they announced one of their modern 4wd race buggies would ship with white plastic, and of course, a gold chassis. But wait, there’s more! Associated even fully sent it with “out of the box” ideas like their RC10 American Custom Semitruck 6×6 Kit. Who would have thunk AE would put out a 6×6 Semi with a vintage vibe? Nobody, that’s why I love it. AE has their hardcore racers covered, they have the vintage totally covered, and they sent-it with totally new original machines like the 6×6. Bravo AE, you totally crushed it in 2025.
I do find it interesting reading the replies to a new Associated release now days. The replies typically go something like “You are releasing too much stuff we can’t keep up!!!”. Now, as a manufacturer, too many releases can be a problem, but if you are a consumer, the more the merrier quite frankly. I don’t know how much longer AE will keep this push up, so rc fans, enjoy it while it lasts.
So what about the almighty Traxxas? Traxxas had a solid year in 2025. They went hard with their 50th anniversary Bigfoot trucks, a new oval car, a new rally car, plus that absolutely gorgeous looking Funco Sand Car. It seems like some years Traxxas just keeps it steady, while other years they really send it, and 2025 they put out a steady amount of new products.
In other 2025 news, FMS Model kept busy with a bunch of new releases, and new companies like Rlaarlo really started to make some waves. It’s been quite the amazing ride to watch how our hobby has evolved over the last few decades. I’m still waiting for another nitro revolution, still kinda waiting for Traxxas to drop another world changer like the T-Maxx, still kinda waiting for FPV to really take off, and kinda waiting for absolute scale realism, like the Primal RC Ram 1500, to take over. Who knows what is in the future, but all of us as hobbyists can be thankful that 2025 really was a fantastic year for rc.
Welp, that’s all for this year folks. As always get out and support your local hobby shops when ya can!
YOUR Cub Reporter
