When the year started out, Sega announced plans to reveal new details about its Sonic 2020 initiative on the 20th of each month. SXSW 2020 would have seen a panel for Sonic the Hedgehog but it was subsequently cancelled following the COVID-19 pandemic. The content from the panel was delayed to April but unfortunately, that’s not happening as planned either.

On the official Twitter account for Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega issued a statement: “Hi everyone—we know delays are way past not cool. But with the world in its current state, and to keep our teams safe, we need to wait to show you our SXSW content until things have settled. Thanks for your patience, and we’ll let you know as soon as we have a date to share!” How long it will take is anyone’s guess but there’s little doubt that the development team is working remotely, like many others, on the upcoming project.

The last major Sonic the Hedgehog titles were Sonic Mania, a throwback to the classic 2D titles with new levels and music, and Sonic Forces. The latter was meant as a pseudo-sequel to Sonic Generations and allowed players to create their own custom characters to undertake missions. What could the next Sonic title offer? Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

Hi everyone – we know delays are way past not cool. But with the world in its current state, and to keep our teams safe, we need to wait to show you our SXSW content until things have settled.

Thanks for your patience, and we'll let you know as soon as we have a date to share!

— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) April 15, 2020