Sonic x Shadow Generations Animated Special Announced

The Year of Shadow the Hedgehog is in full swing.

By Marc Deschamps

Sonic x Shadow Generations is coming later this year, and when it does, it will receive an animated tie-in. Announced via the official Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account, the animated short will be titled Sonic x Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings. At this time, details are very slim about the special, but details will be revealed at Anime Expo on July 6th. A panel will be held featuring Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka, as well as voice actors Kirk Thornton and Stephanie Sheh. Thornton has been the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog since 2010, and Sheh appears to be voicing Maria Robotnik. 

Promotional art for the Anime Expo panel and animated short can be found below. 

sonic-x-shadow-animated-teaser.jpg
(Photo: Sega)

Sega has made something of a habit of releasing animated shorts to promote new Sonic games. Last year, the company did something similar for Sonic Superstars, and we've seen a number of others, including shorts to promote Sonic Mania, Team Sonic Racing, and Sonic Colors Ultimate. At this time, we have no other details about Dark Beginnings, but if the previous animated shorts are anything to go by, it should act as something of a prologue for the upcoming game. Given the fact that Maria Robotnik seems to be playing a role, it looks like this could be a retelling of Shadow's origins. 

The Year of Shadow

Sega has been putting a big focus on the black and red hedgehog in 2024, officially declaring it the "Year of Shadow," last month. With the character set to appear in a major role in Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it seems Sega will be giving Shadow a lot of focus in the months ahead. The biggest part of this push is Sonic x Shadow Generations, which is a remaster of one of the best Sonic games ever, with new content focused on Shadow. Sega has also recreated Shadow's iconic Dark Rider motorcycle, which will be going on tour throughout the year, appearing at various events. At this time, we don't know if one of the stops will include Anime Expo, but it seems like a possibility given that there's going to be a panel for Dark Beginnings. 

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Sonic x Shadow Generations Platforms and Release Date

At this time, Sega has not announced a set release date for Sonic x Shadow Generations. We know that the game will be arriving sometime in the fall, and it will be released on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It's possible we could learn more at Summer Game Fest next month, since Sega has made a habit of making announcements at events hosted by Geoff Keighley. One way or another, we should have more info on the game sometime in the near future! 

Are you looking forward to this new Sonic animated short? Do you plan on checking out Sonic x Shadow Generations? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

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