Iizuka says Sega once told him 'we're done with Sonic'

Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka says Sega was ready to give up on Sonic during a low point in the franchise's history.

The series has had many ups and downs: the Adventure duo remains beloved, but mixed reception to Heroes and a run that included Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Genesis, and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) pushed it to a low point. Sega later delisted sub‑par Sonic releases in 2010, and Sonic Free Riders followed.

Iizuka says Sega told his team they could stop making Sonic games: 'We don’t need you to make any more Sonic games. We’re good. We’re done with Sonic.' He recalls that when he moved to America about ten years ago they urged him to rebuild the character or Sonic would end.

The series recovered with Sonic Colors and Generations and the surprise hit Sonic Mania, and Iizuka thanked fans for sticking with it. The Sonic Boom cartoon and the movie series helped raise the character's profile, though Frontiers and Superstars remain less beloved.

United States

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