Sega hosted a panel at Anime Expo 2026 to mark the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise's 35th anniversary. The session focused on the development of Sonic Mania and included the debut of a new animated short.
Sega strategy director Aaron Webber described how the company recovered from poor reception to 2014’s Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric by bringing in designer Takashi Iizuka and artist Kazuyuki Hoshino. Christian Whitehead’s prototype led to the creation of Sonic Mania after Iizuka wrote the title on a whiteboard.
The panel also covered the animated shorts that followed Sonic Mania, including Sonic Mania Adventures. Animator Tyson Heese explained the decision to pursue full cartoon animation despite budget limits.
To close the event Sega premiered the trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog: Memories and Beyond. The short depicts Sonic and allies battling Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic, with no release date announced.
