Haruki Satomi reflects on Sonic Boom's failure, Sonic Mania's fan-driven revival and the movie redesign that helped shape SEGA's current IP strategy.
Lead programmer Shigeki Watanabe reveals how Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds developers modified Unreal Engine code to reduce overhead and tackle performance issues.
Takashi Iizuka says Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds was planned around keeping players active for the long term, but the need to fund frequent new content ultimately left the team relying on the Season Pass for additional development money.
Takashi Iizuka says modern Sonic projects can take three to five years to develop, forcing SEGA to maintain multiple development lines at once if it wants to continue releasing new Sonic games regularly.
Takashi Iizuka says Sonic’s movie success is bringing more people into the games, increasing sales and giving SEGA more resources to invest in future titles, while stressing that movies and anime do not take developers away from the games.
Original Sonic composer Masato Nakamura looks back on creating the 1991 soundtrack, SEGA’s drive to beat Mario, revisiting Green Hill with DREAMS COME TRUE, and why he once considered adding lyrics to every Sonic song.
SEGA and Epic Games say Sonic x Fortnite was years in the making, with repeated revisions to Sonic’s proportions, a comic created to explain his new form, and more than 1.5 billion Rings collected in its first three days.
Kazuyuki Hoshino says Sonic’s arms and legs had to be lengthened for 3D because his large head could hide his hands and feet from certain camera angles.
Takashi Iizuka has confirmed that a new Sonic game is currently in development, saying Sonic Team still sees room to push beyond the changes introduced by Sonic Frontiers.
Takashi Iizuka says Sonic Adventure’s camera and Homing Attack solved two major problems with high-speed 3D movement, while Sonic Colors changed how he worked with Sonic Team.
Takashi Iizuka says he would love to see the Chaotix star in their own detective game, while Sonic Team plans to give more characters substantial playable roles in future mainline titles.
Sonic the Comic writer Lew Stringer has revealed how a rejected art submission led to his writing career on the series, why Commander Brutus was created with a definitive ending in mind, and why he believes reprints hastened the comic's decline.
Takashi Iizuka says Fortnite’s gun-heavy gameplay initially made Sonic difficult to integrate, leading SEGA and Epic Games to create Android Sonic as a workaround that could play by different rules.
Newly published Sonic Frontiers development materials reveal Sage’s early “digital + ghost” concepts, wildly different Koco prototypes, experiments with Sonic’s cyber corruption and the digital forms used for Amy, Tails and Knuckles.
Takashi Iizuka has reflected on Sonic Adventure’s pivotal role in the franchise, saying Sonic may not have achieved its later success if SEGA had failed to successfully bring the character into 3D.
Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka says SEGA views Sonic’s different games and collaborations as complementary parts of the franchise, while Season Pass Two reflects its long-term investment in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.
SEGA president Shuji Utsumi says the next Sonic movie is shaping up with impressive footage and explains how Sonic’s film success is influencing the company’s wider global strategy.
A newly translated interview with Jun Senoue and Yuunosuke explores Sonic’s 35th anniversary song “Speed Is My Life,” its Japanese version “Faster Than the Speed of Sound,” and the musical DNA that has shaped the series across generations.
Sonic series general producer Takashi Iizuka has reflected on Sonic’s 35-year history, discussing the character’s speed-focused origins, global success, Sonic Adventure, Shadow’s creation, Sonic Mania, and the role fans have played in keeping the series alive.
Nigel Kitching and Richard Elson have reflected on Fleetway’s Sonic the Comic, revisiting its rushed launch, hands-off creative freedom, darker storylines, evil Super Sonic, and the final Chaos arc that helped define its legacy.
Takashi Iizuka has reflected on Sonic’s ups and downs in a new GamesRadar+ interview, revealing that SEGA once asked him to move to America and help rebuild the franchise during one of its lowest moments.
A newly translated Denfaminico Gamer interview with Sonic Pico Park producer Shintaro Shimazu and director Shunsuke Miyake reveals how SEGA licensed Sonic to an indie developer for the first time, why PICO PARK was chosen, and how the team is blending Sonic action with chaotic co-op puzzle design.
Former SEGA executive Mike Fischer has shared sharp criticism of Yuji Naka in a new Sega-16 interview, arguing that Naoto Ohshima and Hirokazu Yasuhara deserve proper credit for Sonic the Hedgehog’s creation.
A new interview reveals how Sonic 3 directly influenced Sonic X-treme’s enemy designs, while also clearing up long-standing credit confusion.
A former Sonic X-treme developer has revealed the moment he believes the project collapsed, shedding new light on the game’s troubled development.
Shadow’s original voice actor says Sonic and Shadow are reflections of each other, revealing a deeper bond beyond rivalry.
Former Sega artist Shinichi "Touma" Higashi reflects on creating Fang the Sniper, believing the character had faded away, and the emotional impact of Fang’s return in modern Sonic games and media.
Sonic voice actor Roger Craig Smith has spoken about the tonal shift in Sonic Frontiers, describing the game’s grounded performance as a major departure from Sonic’s usual style.
To celebrate Pac-Man’s 45th anniversary, the iconic arcade hero sits down with Sonic the Hedgehog for a heartfelt and surprisingly thoughtful conversation about freedom, fun, and what it means to keep moving forward.
Roger Craig Smith looks back on fifteen years of voicing Sonic, sharing insights on fan reactions, shifting creative directions, his work on Dying Light: The Beast, and why he is unfazed by the rise of AI in voice acting.
At Brasil Game Show, Sonic series producer Takashi Iizuka shared how Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds was born from SEGA’s arcade expertise and fan feedback, teasing that more DLC could come if demand stays strong.
Takashi Iizuka says the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 version of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will take full advantage of the console’s upgraded hardware while maintaining full cross-play with other platforms.
CrossWorlds creative director Masaru Kohayakawa says SEGA designed the game to reward strategy and skill over luck, drawing clear contrast to the Mario Kart formula.
With Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launching September 25, Takashi Iizuka says Mario Kart World’s reveal came as a surprise but has no impact on Sega’s vision for the ultimate Sonic racing game.
Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka confirmed at gamescom that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will not feature content from the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, citing timing and release schedules as the main reason.
At gamescom 2025, Takashi Iizuka shared new details on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, discussing its unique CrossWorlds mechanic, deep customization, crossover roster, and why DLC characters will not be voiced.
