New Sonic the Hedgehog Fighting Game Possibly Leaked

Since the character’s debut in 1991, Sega has done a lot with Sonic the Hedgehog. The character is best known for platformers, but we’ve also seen him in racing games, pinball games, and even fighting games. Outside the Super Smash Bros. series, it’s been a long while since we’ve seen a Sonic themed fighting game, but it appears that could be changing. As discovered by the streamer GamesCage, Sega is hiring right now for a “3D battle action game.” Applicants are directed to send their applications to the company’s 2nd development division, which happens to be where developer Sonic Team is located within the company.

It’s important to note that this part of Sega does not exclusively work on Sonic games; it’s entirely possible that this is something outside the Sonic franchise. That having been said, the timing lines up pretty nicely with Sega’s recent trademark of “Sonic Blitz,” which is a name that sounds like it would fit with a “3D battle action game.” GamesCage is clearly hoping that this turns out to be a spiritual successor to Sonic the Fighters, a fighting game released in Japan back in 1996. However, Sonic fans will have to wait to find out if there’s an actual connection between this job listing and that recent trademark.

Over the last few years, Sega has embraced a near yearly release schedule for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. While we don’t have an actual release window yet, this year’s release seems to be Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, which was announced last December at The Game Awards. Assuming Sega sticks to the fall release window that we’ve seen with Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Superstars, and Sonic x Shadow Generations over the last three years, we could be waiting until October or November for CrossWorlds, and the next console game could be held until fall 2026. It’s possible we could see two games released in the same year, but with Sonic x Shadow Generations having sold more than 2 million copies since October 2024, it’s likely Sega will want to space out its releases.

Of course, it’s entirely possible that Sonic Blitz really is that 3D battle action game, but released on mobile or Apple Arcade, rather than consoles and PC. Sega has done a lot with mobile games over the last few years; Sonic Dream Team was released as an Apple Arcade exclusive in 2023, and Sonic Rumble is set to be released in the near future. Given the vagueness of everything we know right now, it’s impossible to rule out.

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Since the release of Sonic the Fighters nearly 30 years ago, the Sonic franchise has expanded to feature a much bigger cast of characters. In 1996, the franchise hadn’t yet introduced characters like Shadow, Rouge, or Trip, so there’s a lot of opportunity to build on what was done in the past. Whether that will actually happen, however, remains to be seen!

Would you like to see a new Sonic fighting game? What do you think Sega’s planning right now? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!