Next major Sonic the Hedgehog game in the works, as SEGA reveals plans for ‘Sonic Colors’ remaster

SEGA’s video game plans for its speedy blue mascot are taking shape fast. Not only is the next mainline Sonic the Hedgehog game officially on the way; the studio is also diving deep into Sonic’s back catalog to revive some nostalgic gaming classics — this time with HD visuals and all-new content.

Apart from a super-brief teaser, as well as the big reveal of the game itself, details on the next main installment in the long-racing Sonic franchise were slight during SEGA’s Sonic Central livestream today. While the studio didn’t reveal a name or any significant info on the game’s setting and visuals, it did target a 2022 release window, while teasing a handful of other Sonic projects that’ll ring in with much sooner arrivals.

The biggest buzz by far surrounds the just-announced upcoming HD remaster of Sonic Colors, the outer-space platformer originally released in two separate 2010 versions for the Nintendo Wii and the handheld 3DS. Titled Sonic Colors Ultimate, the new version was revealed in a warp-speed trailer that brings updated graphics light years beyond what memory-hazed fans probably remember from a decade ago.

Check  it out:

Yep, it’s Sonic and Tails together again, uniting to take down Doctor Eggman (Colors’ big galactic baddie) — all in an enhanced new version of the retro game that first introduced Wisps to the Sonic franchise. SEGA teased more details on Ultimate will be speeding along soon, but said today that the remaster will include new features, a new game mode, and enhanced gameplay mechanics that improve on the 2010 original.

SEGA also shared a ton of additional Sonic tidbits, including an upcoming two-part animated short called Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps (not to be confused with the planned Sonic animated series at Netflix), which will be timed to release sometime this summer as a story expansion on the game. The studio also revealed the upcoming release of a newly-refreshed old-school gaming bundle titled Sonic Origins. Origins doesn’t have a release date, but will arrive as a mutli-game compilation that includes both Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD.

As for Sonic Colors Ultimate, it does have a release date — and in keeping with Sonic’s timely schedule, it’s speeding toward consoles soon. Ultimate arrives for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC; as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X/S (via backward compatibility) on Sept. 7.