The release of Sonic Mania in 2017 signaled to many fans that Sega and the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise were listening to fans. Announced as part of the series’ 25th anniversary in 2016, the title was developed as a collaboration between Sonic Team and a group of independent developers led by designer Christian Whitehead. Following the release and subsequent overwhelming acclaim of Sonic Mania and its upgraded version, Sonic Mania Plus, Sonic Team entered into conversations with Evening Star, the studio founded by Whitehead and several other members of the Sonic Mania dev team in 2018, but despite getting into the prototyping phase, that sequel never happened.
In 2023, a Sonic Mania sequel felt like a distant hope, as Evening Star announced its own platformer, Penny’s Big Breakaway, while Sega released its next 2D Sonic game, Sonic Superstars, which was developed in collaboration with Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima’s studio, Arzest. When I broached the Sonic Mania 2 topic with Iizuka a few years ago, he confirmed that those initial conversations occurred with Evening Star. “There was a period after the development of Sonic Mania when we worked with them to consider concepts for the next generation of Classic Sonic,” Iizuka said in 2023. “It’s too bad that it didn’t become a finished game. Still, I’m pleased that the next generation of Classic Sonic that we talked about with them has been achieved with Superstars.”
Sonic Superstars
Iizuka mentions that he wanted to go a different route with Mania’s successor, instead relying on 3D models instead of pixel-art graphics to appeal to a wider audience. Whitehead, for his part, backed up Iizuka’s retelling of the events. “When we started Evening Star, it was always our goal to move beyond 2D pixel art into 3D games, and develop all-new, original IP,” he says. “Evening Star did work with Sega to explore possible directions Classic Sonic could go after the success of Sonic Mania. Sonic Mania 2 was never in development, though, because we actually agreed early on that we should try to make something fresh, like hand-drawn 2D or 2.5D. At the same time, Evening Star was developing our new Star Engine, so we also ended up making a cool Sonic prototype that played with depth in 2.5D, and some other gameplay ideas. As Iizuka-san said, though, [Evening Star] did not continue to full production on the game, at which point Arzest took the helm and made Superstars alongside Sonic Team. We moved forward with our plans to develop an original 3D title, which is, of course, Penny’s Big Breakaway!”
Now, three years following that conversation, Sonic Team is collaborating with TecoPark for Sonic Pico Park, releasing this November. When I ask Iizuka what he looks for when selecting a development partner, he says studios and developers that can fill gaps where Sonic Team isn’t as skilled or experienced are an important factor. “Sonic Team is really proficient at making action games; they make action game after action game,” Iizuka says. “The Pico Park team, they’re really good at making that action-puzzle format. That’s something Sonic Team has never made before, so I wouldn’t want to say, ‘Hey, Sonic Team! Go make an action-puzzle game.’ But the Pico Park team, they’re really good at doing it.”
Sonic Mania
With Sonic Mania perhaps the strongest example of a project Sonic Team worked on collaboratively, it was natural to steer the conversation toward an update on the potential of Sonic Mania 2. While it isn’t planned at the moment, Iizuka doesn’t think the door is completely shut. “We’re still really close with them,” he says. “We’ve gone out eating and drinking with them because relationships are important to us. They also have a lot of projects that they’re working on for what they want to do and what their business needs are. We don’t have anything to talk about now, but there’s definitely a desire to want to work with them again, and we think they could make a great game. It’s not off the books yet, but it’s not something that’s moving forward currently.”
I reached out to Evening Star chief technology officer Hunter Bridges to ask his reaction to the quote. To my surprise, he had already seen the quote from Iizuka when he read it in the latest issue of Game Informer. After reading it, he emailed Iizuka with the subject line “Eating and Drinking” (referring to his quote) to try to set up some time to do just that while Iizuka was in town for Tokyo Game Show 2026. Unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out for Bridges and Iizuka to meet up in Tokyo this month.
“It’s as he says, though, we have a good relationship with Sega and keep in touch,” Bridges tells me. “We are working on something exciting right now, but it’s not Sonic this time. But if the right opportunity lines up on both sides, we’d be happy to make another great Sonic game. Whether that would be Mania 2 is up for debate; we are an ambitious team!”
Sonic Mania released in 2017 to widespread critical acclaim, earning an 86 on reviews aggregator Metacritic, including an 8.5 from Game Informer. Neither Sonic Superstars nor Penny’s Big Breakaway reached the same level of acclaim, earning a 73 and 74, respectively, including a 7.5 for Superstars and a 7 for Penny’s Big Breakaway from Game Informer. Neither Sonic Team nor Evening Star has publicly announced their next project, though Iizuka recently told 4Gamer that he wants to continue evolving both the 2D and 3D sides of Sonic.