Sega reveals the Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice release date while an upcoming Sonic 25th anniversary event sparks rumors of a Sonic anniversary game being released this year.

Last year, Sega announced a new Sonic game, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice for Nintendo 3DS. Set to be an action adventure platforming game, Fire & Ice would not only introduce both heat and cold gameplay elements, but it would also introduce a new playable character. A hedgehog named Amy Rose, the latest addition to the gang would join Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Sticks, as the group faced off against returning villain Dr. Eggman and new antagonist D-Fekt.

Unfortunately, despite Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice being penciled in for a late 2015 release date, Sega pushed back the platformer title until 2016. Sega didn’t reveal why the game had been delayed, simply explaining that the game would be “ready when it’s ready.”

At a recent panel during SXSW in Austin, Texas, Sega revealed more specifics on its Fire & Ice release plans, explaining that the game is now scheduled to arrive on September 27, 2016. Fire & Ice joins the growing list of big name games coming to the 3DS this year. This list includes Monster Hunter Generations which is headed to the west this summer and Pokemon Sun and Moon which will both be released on 3DS in holiday 2016.

Moreover, while some fans will be disappointed that the game has been delayed for an entire year, many will welcome the delay if it means that Fire & Ice can avoid the missteps of the previous Sonic Boom titles. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal which sold less than 500,000 copies between them and were also heavily criticized for their bugs. One particular Rise of Lyric glitch allowed players to skip the majority of the game.

In other Sonic series news, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice may not be the only Sonic title that Sega promotes this year, as it’s also being suggested that a Sonic 25th anniversary game is in the works. Today, Sega revealed its plans to celebrate the bright blue character's long history, with an event set to take place on July 22. This event, which will be hosted in San Diego will feature music from Crush 40 (the rock band that has previously composed Sonic tracks), along with some “very special announcements” and an “exclusive first look at the future of Sonic.”

While that’s not much to go on with regards to an anniversary game, it’s not the first time that a Sonic 25th anniversary title has been hinted at. Earlier this year, in a Facebook post, Crush 40 revealed that the band was “writing new songs for the anniversary game.” While that post was eventually removed, fans have been waiting for a formal announcement ever since and from the sounds of it, the Sonic 25th anniversary celebration in July could be the very stage for that reveal.

Source: VideoGamer, Game Informer