Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka confirms earlier reports that a new Sonic the Hedgehog game is in development, and reveals that it will launch at some point in 2017.

For over a decade now, things haven't exactly been great for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. None of the iconic blue hedgehog's games have earned the same acclaim as his older titles, and there have been many that have been outright panned by critics. However, Sonic Team may be looking to turn things around for Sonic the Hedgehog, as it's been announced that a new game in the series is in development for unspecified platforms.

Sonic Team studio head Takashi Iizuka confirmed as much during a celebration of the franchise's 25th anniversary that took place in Tokyo yesterday. Unfortunately, further details on the project are not available at this time, except that it will launch at some point in 2017.

However, fans won't have to wait too much longer for concrete details on the next Sonic the Hedgehog game. Iizuka also announced that a full unveiling for the game will occur next month during Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Party, which will take place on July 22nd in San Diego, California. Come July 22nd, it's a safe bet that fans can expect to see plot details, character information, gameplay features, and more.

Even though the new Sonic the Hedgehog game isn't set to launch until next year, fans should still be able to expect to see a lot of the game at the anniversary celebration next month. Sega has been hinting at a 25th anniversary game for months, and since Sonic Team's last substantial release was 2013's Sonic: Lost World on Wii U, it's probable that the new Sonic game has been in development for quite some time now.

Speaking of Sonic: Lost World and its timed Nintendo exclusivity, perhaps the new Sonic the Hedgehog will be exclusive to the Nintendo NX. After all, Sega and Nintendo seem to have a strong relationship, with a number of Nintendo exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog games releasing over the past few years. With the Nintendo NX launching in March 2017, maybe the new Sonic the Hedgehog will be the third game confirmed for the system, after Just Dance 2017 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Whatever shape the new Sonic the Hedgehog game takes, Sonic Team needs it to be a hit. Sega has already admitted that it has betrayed its fans with some of its recent gaming projects, and wants to restore the confidence consumers had in the brand back in the 90's. Since Sonic has been the face of Sega for 25 years now, Sega could achieve its goal of restoring consumer confidence by delivering a high quality Sonic the Hedgehog game that returns the franchise to its former glory.

The new Sonic the Hedgehog game will release in 2017 for unspecified platforms.

Source: Gematsu