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Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka has explained how the studio plans out the releases of Sonic games on a roadmap internally.
Sonic the Hedgehog is back to being a yearly franchise as of late, with every year since 2021 having a major release, whether it be remasters like Sonic Colors: Ultimate and Sonic x Shadow Generations, or new titles like Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Superstars, or something else entirely like this year's major release, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. And according to Sonic Team lead Takashi Iizuka, a lot of thought is put into what game should be released when.
In a talk at the Brasil Game Show earlier this month (translated by Twitter user Genki_JPN), Iizuka explained, "First, we create a roadmap of Sonic titles and think about which game to release in which year. We then allocate the development resources needed to develop those titles."
While it wasn't specified how far ahead these roadmaps are produced, this is presumably far enough that Sonic Team can best time releases, as seen with last year's Sonic x Shadow Generations, which coincided with the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film shortly after. As for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Iizuka said, "This year we've strengthened the racing genre, and we're currently planning what to do next on the roadmap."
As for what's next, Twitter user P0wyful – who previously leaked that SpongeBob and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters would be coming to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds – has also hinted that the next mainline entry in the series (presumably a sequel to Sonic Frontiers, based on how they have referenced it since) is pegged for a November 2026 release.
