Sonic Rumble Delay Confirmed by Sega

It seems Sonic the Hedgehog fans will have to wait a little bit longer for the next game starring the blue blur. While a release for Sonic Rumble was expected sometime this winter, Sega has announced that the global launch for the multiplayer game will be pushed back to spring. A specific date was not mentioned in the company’s press release, but the App Store currently lists an expected date of May 8th. It’s possible that’s just a placeholder for the moment, but there’s no way to know for certain.

Following news of the delay, Sega released a roadmap leading up to the global launch. The roadmap lays out several changes that will be made during the pre-launch period, including the addition of new stages, greater language support, and a new quick play mode. In time for the global launch, the 1.2.0 update will see specific abilities added for the game’s characters. This means that elements like Amy’s Piko Piko Hammer will be present. That’s the only special ability the company has revealed thus far, but it’s easy to imagine more character specific inclusions that we might see.

One potential benefit to the delay is that it will give Sega more time for Sonic Rumble‘s pre-registration campaign. The company is planning to reward all players with some freebies in the game based on the number of pre-registrations that accumulate. Right now, all players will be receiving 5,000 Rings and a Happy Chao sticker, which were given out for reaching 200,000 and 400,000 pre-registrations. The next reward is a Crystal Chao buddy, which will be unlocked once the game hits 600,000 pre-registrations. Following that, Garnet Knuckles and Movie Sonic skins will unlock at mystery tiers. It remains to be seen whether there will be enough pre-registrations to hit any of these additional goals, but hopefully we’ll see these bonuses unlocked for all players.

At this time, Sonic Rumble is only slated to be released on mobile platforms, and PC via Steam. Some fans are holding out hope that today’s delay could convince Sega to expand the game to consoles. The publisher has not addressed that possibility just yet, but the Sega leaker formerly known as Midori noted last year that “release on other platforms is possible.” It should be noted that Sega has kept its console and mobile games separate over the years, but it’s possible that could change for Sonic Rumble. The game’s multiplayer focus seems like it would translate well to consoles, and if there’s enough interest, making the game more widely available could be beneficial.

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Naturally, a lot of fans have expressed disappointment about the delay. Sonic Rumble has been available in other countries during the pre-launch period, and players in the U.S. are missing out on in-game events in the meantime. Hopefully Sega will make sure that when the global launch does take place, those that have been left out will get a chance to enjoy everything that they’ve missed.

Are you disappointed about this delay for Sonic Rumble? Have you been looking forward to the game’s release? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!