Takashi Iizuka Hints at Story-Driven Sonic Game After 35th Anniversary
Iizuka's comments suggest the Sonic series may pivot back to narrative-focused adventures after the experimental open-zone Frontiers and the underperforming multiplayer Racing CrossWorlds.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
In an interview at Anime Expo 2026, Sonic lead producer Takashi Iizuka discussed the 35th anniversary, the surprise release of Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition on Switch 2, and the sales disappointment of Sonic Racing CrossWorlds. He stated he wants to create a story-driven game that appeals to both gamers and fans who discovered Sonic through movies and anime, while declining to reveal the next mainline project.
Sonic lead producer Takashi Iizuka said during an interview at Anime Expo 2026 that he wants the next mainline Sonic game to be story-driven and accessible to a broad audience that includes fans who discovered the character through movies and anime. The statement comes after the surprise release of Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 and the acknowledgment that Sonic Racing CrossWorlds fell short of sales expectations. Iizuka also discussed the challenge of keeping the Switch 2 version a secret and expressed eagerness to continue experimenting with collaborations like Sonic Forces x Nex Playground and Sonic Pico Park.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.