Sega executives once considered ending the entire Sonic the Hedgehog series

Sega was once prepared to abandon the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise before the live-action movie achieved massive success and changed the minds of company executives.

This revelation comes from Takashi Iizuka, the head of Sonic Team and a veteran developer. Over the past 30 years, he has worked on more than 30 games featuring Sega’s mascot, Sonic, serving as a designer, director, and producer. The idea of ​​Sega abandoning Sonic sounds shocking—akin to Pokémon dropping Pikachu or Mario shaving off his mustache—yet the Sonic the Hedgehog series has indeed weathered some difficult times over the years.

In fact, as Iizuka now admits, his tenure overseeing the blue hedgehog’s franchise has seen both “good times” and “the worst of times.” Speaking to One More Game, Iizuka said: “It’s been 35 years—longer than the age of my own children—so I view the franchise somewhat like a son. There have been ups and downs over the years… at the absolute worst point, executives even told me we should cancel the entire series.”

Iizuka continued: “I had to fight hard within the company to keep the franchise alive. For me, the major turning point was the first movie. It was a huge success and undoubtedly changed the direction of the franchise.”

The first Sonic the Hedgehog movie was released in 2020, ultimately grossing a surprising $320 million and launching a successful blockbuster franchise—though its success was far from guaranteed at the start. The series nearly failed before it even began; after the first trailer dropped, Sonic’s design was widely mocked—with many viewers calling it “ugly,” particularly citing his unsettling teeth.

Sega then made a decision that has since become legendary: they delayed the film’s release to completely overhaul Sonic’s design, bringing his appearance closer to his in-game look—and the rest is history. Today, Sega plans to continue expanding Sonic into realms beyond gaming, though the franchise’s roots remain firmly planted in PC and console platforms.