Late last May, SEGA broadcasted its first-ever digital event, Sonic Central. This included news about its 30th anniversary, regarding many different media releases, such as the Netflix series Sonic Prime and the Sonic Colors remaster. Near the end of the showcase was a vague teaser trailer of the next Sonic title, with no new information released since. In a recent interview with Game Informer, Sonic Team Head Takashi Iizuka spoke about the franchise's 30th anniversary, and shed some light about Sonic 2022.
Iizuka explained that many of the plans that they had for this year's anniversary had to be put on hold due to the pandemic. He noted that working from home slowed down their plans, but the team still intends on delivering some of what they had for the blue blur's 30th anniversary. When Iizuka was asked about the new game, he said he wasn't allowed to share any new details, but offered insight on what to expect for Sonic 2022.
"Ever since the release of Sonic Forces, Sonic Team in Japan was trying many different approaches to deliver a next-gen Sonic experience," Iizuka said. "While celebrating 30 years of Sonic titles and thinking about what the modern gameplay experience should be for a Sonic title, we also needed to think about what path forward we should plan to take for the next decade."
This statement was further emphasized by his desire in hoping that Sonic 2022 will be a step in the right direction for the modern titles. "There is a lot I can't say yet about the title, but I do believe we will see an advancement in what a modern Sonic game can be," he explains. "Of course, we will not deny the high-speed action that characterized previous modern Sonic games like Sonic Generations or Sonic Forces, rather we will create a title that our current gaming fans and new gamers will enjoy." This didn't stop fans from raising their concerns and scoping out what this Sonic title would bring. Some even hope this game will incorporate elements from games like Sonic Adventure 2.
One of the things that have been discovered was a title by the name of Sonic Rangers, which had been used in the press release for the Sonic Central event. SEGA has however gone on the record saying that it was an outdated version of the press release, and that it had been shared incorrectly. That being said, there have been other rumors from 4chan, trying to add credence to these theories. This includes listing gameplay details, setting, and the biggest selling point of all: an open world.
With the possible implementation of an open-world, Iizuka's comment of it being an advancement in the gameplay of modern Sonic could lead credence to these rumors. The crux of this rumor is that Sonic 2022 is inspired by Breath of the Wild, and what would take place in this environment. It would involve Sonic running around solving puzzles, and then would enter a cyberspace environment to participate in the boost stages, similar to the ones in Sonic Generations or Sonic Forces. These rumors also mention that the game is still possibly in early development, so any desire to share any new info would be held off until the time is right.
Sonic 2022 is currently in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Game Informer