If you’re a fan of the Maria & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, there’s good news and bad news after a recent joint announcement between the International Olympic Committee and SEGA Corporation. The agreement, which was announced as a multi-year licensing deal, will see the Olympics making use of the famous video game hedgehog and his friends for marketing and merchandising purposes, with sports-themed tie-ins for Sonic and company.
“This collaboration highlights the International Olympic Committee’s commitment to showcasing excellence, unity, and perseverance on the global stage, values that Sonic embodies through speed, determination, and resilience,” President, COO, and Representative Director of SEGA Corporation Shuji Utsumi, said of the agreement. “It brings together uniquely crafted designs that combine the iconic Olympic rings and Sonic, and we are thrilled to share this exciting initiative with fans worldwide.”
What Is The History Of Sonic And The Olympic Games
This is not the first time the Olympics and SEGA have joined forces, as they also partnered with Nintendo on a series of Olympic games, which saw the characters from both series coming together to compete in Olympic events. In the same vein as games like Wii Sports, the Maria & Sonic at the Olympic Games series tended to focus on games that featured quick rounds, making them ideal party games as you can easily swap players in, or a fun game to take on a friend in a series of events to find the true sporting champion.
The series debuted with the 2007 Wii and DS release, with additional Summer Games editions for the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympics. For the winter, there were two options: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Sonic and crew also got their own mobile-only game, Sonic at the Olympic Games, in 2020.
What Does This Mean For A New Sonic At The Olympic Games?
While a new partnership between the IOC and SEGA is certainly a positive development for fans of the series, the bad news is that it does not appear there are currently plans for a reboot of the video game franchise, certainly not in time for the upcoming 2026 Winter Games next year.
Still, having the two companies working hand-in-hand on the branding deal does seem like at least a small step in the direction of potentially seeing Knuckles racing Tails over hurdles or Dr. Robotnik launching a hammer toss into the stratosphere. As a fan of the games since the first Wii game, which held a cherished place in my Wii games collection, here’s hoping this is the first of many announcements the two companies make in the years ahead.
