SEGA, ATLUS, and SPJA have announced five new Guests of Honor for Anime Expo 2026, with several major creators set to appear at panels and autograph sessions during the event.
For Sonic fans, the biggest name on the list is Takashi Iizuka, Creative Officer of Sonic and one of the key figures behind the franchise’s modern history. Iizuka has worked on the Sonic the Hedgehog series for more than 30 years, with credits beginning on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and continuing through major titles such as Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Generations, and Sonic Mania.
Beyond Sonic, Iizuka also contributed to NiGHTS into dreams and is credited as the creator of Shadow the Hedgehog. In his current role, he continues to oversee the creative direction of the Sonic series while also being involved in the wider Sonic business, including the Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise.
ATLUS will also have a major presence at Anime Expo 2026, with three Persona-related guests announced for the event. Kazuhisa Wada, General Producer for the Persona Team, will attend as one of the Guests of Honor. Wada has been involved with the Persona series since Persona 3, where he served as Design Director, and now oversees the Persona team as General Producer. He also serves as General Producer of Persona 4 Revival.
Shigenori Soejima, Character Designer and Illustrator at ATLUS, will also appear. Soejima is known for his character design work across the Persona series since Persona 3, as well as Metaphor: ReFantazio. For Persona 4 Revival, he is supervising character design and key art.
Atsushi Nomura, Business Producer for the Persona Team, has also been announced. Nomura oversees IP production responsibilities, including project planning and promotion for the Persona series. His credits include Persona 4 Revival, Persona 5 Tactica, and the remastered releases of Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable.
Anime director Yoshiyuki Asai rounds out the newly announced Guest of Honor lineup. Asai began his career as an animator at Toei Animation, OLM, and Ajiado before moving into directing. His credits include Charlotte, Fate/Apocrypha, The Day I Became a God, and Buddy Daddies, which won Best Original Anime at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024.
With Sonic, Persona, and anime talent all represented, SEGA and ATLUS are set to have a strong presence at Anime Expo 2026. Fans attending the event will have the chance to hear from several major creators behind some of SEGA and ATLUS’ most recognizable works.
Stay tuned to Sonic City for more SEGA, ATLUS, and Sonic News and Updates!
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