A new Sonic the Hedgehog game is in development, but it may play differently from prior games. While fans have been hoping for a return to the Adventure gameplay formula, or a sequel to Frontiers, it seems that SEGA is, once again, trying something entirely new.
After revealing that SEGA almost cancelled Sonic the Hedgehog prior to the release of the first movie, Sonic Team lead Takashi Iizuka explained that the next game in the series will be substantially different to prior experiences.
“While I cannot yet share specific details about the new title currently in development, I am convinced that there is still plenty of room for the series to evolve,” Iizuka said in an interview with Japanese outlet 4Gamer.
The Sonic Team boss explained that the next Sonic game is deep in development, and it likely isn’t a sequel to Frontiers. “We are crafting a gameplay experience unlike anything seen before by innovating across the board—from characters and story to game systems—so please look forward to it,” he told the outlet.
With that said, Iizuka explained that there’s still potential for prior gameplay systems to return, noting that Frontiers’ open-world gameplay could be evolved in future entries. “The Colour Powers introduced in Sonic Colours significantly transformed the gameplay,” he said, “and I believe there is still further potential to build upon the systemic evolution pioneered by Sonic Frontiers.”
While the next Sonic the Hedgehog game will seemingly be a major 3D release, Iizuka teased that there are multiple games in various forms of development, both 2D and 3D. While they didn’t explain how many titles are in production, it seems that SEGA still has big plans for the franchise.
“We aim to evolve not just through technological advancements, but by developing both the 2D Classic series and the 3D Modern series,” he said. “We have titles like Sonic Frontiers alongside the direction taken by *Sonic Superstars*, and we want to steadily nurture both of these paths.”
The last 3D Sonic release was the expanded version of Generations, dubbed Sonic X Shadow Generations, with the last 2D game being the aforementioned Superstars. At the time of writing, SEGA has yet to announce a release date for the next game in the series. SEGA’s next Sonic game will offer a “gameplay experience unlike anything”, but there’s “still further potential” for Frontiers’ gameplay
