Sega has shared a sneak peek at a new Sonic the Hedgehog animated project, which will be released as part of the franchise’s 35th anniversary celebrations.
Revealed during the “Sonic the Hedgehog Animated Shorts: A Frame-by-Frame Retrospective” panel at Anime Expo 2026, the trailer shows plenty of fan-favorite characters in its brief runtime. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Shadow, and Rouge take on Metal Sonic, which is activated by Dr. Eggman.
Sonic City reported that the animation will be 10 minutes long and will be released in 2026.
The official synopsis (via Bleeding Cool) reads: “Dr. Eggman’s new evil scheme is to upgrade Metal Sonic into the ultimate fighting machine by stealing Sonic’s life-data and harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic and his friends realize that to defeat Metal Sonic, they must rely on the friendship they built through their adventures.”
Metal Sonic will also be introduced into the live-action film series in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4, along with Amy Rose (voiced by Kristen Bell).
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Written by Reece Heather
A veteran Zelda Universe editor and First-class journalism graduate, Reece emerged with a Nintendo 64 and a lifelong obsession after a narrow escape from Santa’s Naughty List in 1998. Outside of games, he’s reading Punisher comics, being bossed around by his cocker spaniel, and cornering innocent bystanders to rant about the importance of game preservation.
