As surprising as it may sound, there hasn’t been a core Sonic the Hedgehog game since 2017. Sonic Forces was the last main experience, a game negatively received by both critics and fans. Team Sonic Racing, a spinoff putting the characters in cars, released last year to mediocre reviews. Simply put, while SEGA regained fans’ trust with Sonic Mania, there hasn’t been a hit since. Sonic is also approaching his 30th anniversary, with nothing to show thus far. Although SEGA has been quiet regarding news, now is the time to reveal something.

News Has Been Delayed For A While

We know there is a major Sonic game in production. Sonic Team head Takashi Iikuza revealed this news at last year’s SXSW. After that, there was nothing to report. However, things began to look up at the start of 2020. In January, SEGA unveiled a Sonic campaign. Every 20th of the month for the whole year would see some kind of news regarding the series. There were no big game announcements, but Sonic was slated to appear at this year’s SXSW.

However, SXSW was cancelled, as was other conventions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Understandably, this postponed the Sonic news SEGA was ready to reveal. It’s not known what this SXSW news is supposed to be. It’s fair to guess it could be related to the Sonic game being worked on. After the convention’s cancellation, SEGA said Sonic’s SXSW content would arrive in a new format in April.

In April, the Sonic Twitter announced the news would be delayed again. Of course, health and safety should always take priority over announcements. What SEGA can do, unless the game is years away, is reveal a little, even if it’s just a title or teaser image.

The Film’s Success Should Be Capitalized On

The big reason why SEGA should announce a new Sonic game sooner than later, even if it’s just a small reveal, is because Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog movie has done very well. As discussed numerous times, the Sonic film has one of, if not the biggest turnarounds in terms of social media pre-reception. It went from instant ridicule, to fan acclaim. The actual film was received well by both critics and fans. It is the biggest selling video game movie domestically, beating out Detective Pikachu. When the original Sonic trailer was released, people thought it would be a terrible video game movie. Instead, it has helped carve a new path for films based on a game.

Although Sonic Forces was not received well, there is a lot of optimism in the air due to the film’s success. Whether it be the next 3D Sonic tale, or a followup to the acclaimed Sonic Mania, it’s time to show a little something.

SEGA, Please Don’t Keep Us Waiting Much Longer

Interestingly, SEGA chief brand officer Ivo Gerscovich said in May the company has “exciting news” to share. The decision now is deciding when to unveil this news. Some might think SEGA wants to reveal it close to a new title’s release, and with a grand presentation. The SXSW content could be just that. An initial reveal with a big introduction certainly has merit, but it’s also arguable even a simple title would be effective currently with all these delays.

Now, thanks to the success of the movie, the franchise is back in the spotlight with a high level of fan hype. That’s why even if it’s just a small unveiling of a new game, that’s enough to generate massive excitement.

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