On September 24, 2026, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka told Game Informer that another collaboration with the developers behind Sonic Mania is “not off the books yet, but it’s not something that’s moving forward currently.” In other words, there is no Sonic Mania 2 in development, and Sega is not ruling one out.
What Iizuka Said
Sonic Mania launched in 2017 as a collaboration between Sonic Team and a group of independent developers led by Christian Whitehead, many of whom went on to found the studio Evening Star. Asked for an update, Iizuka stressed the relationship is still warm.
“We’re still really close with them,” he told Game Informer. “We’ve gone out eating and drinking with them because relationships are important to us. They also have a lot of projects that they’re working on for what they want to do and what their business needs are. We don’t have anything to talk about now, but there’s definitely a desire to want to work with them again, and we think they could make a great game.”
That is a clearer statement of interest than fans have had in years, but it describes a wish, not a plan.
Evening Star’s Answer
Game Informer also put the quote to Evening Star chief technology officer Hunter Bridges, who had already read it in the magazine and emailed Iizuka to arrange that meal during Tokyo Game Show 2026 (the timing did not work out). “We are working on something exciting right now, but it’s not Sonic this time,” Bridges told the outlet. “But if the right opportunity lines up on both sides, we’d be happy to make another great Sonic game. Whether that would be Mania 2 is up for debate; we are an ambitious team!”
The background matters here. Whitehead has said Evening Star did explore where Classic Sonic could go after Mania, including a 2.5D prototype, but that “Sonic Mania 2 was never in development.” Sega instead made Sonic Superstars with Arzest, and Evening Star went on to make Penny’s Big Breakaway. Sonic Team’s next collaboration is Sonic Pico Park with TecoPark, which Game Informer reports is releasing in November.
What This Means for Players
Do not expect Sonic Mania 2 soon: both sides say nothing is in production, and Evening Star’s current project is not a Sonic game. What has changed is that both studios are now on record wanting to work together again.
In the meantime, Sonic’s guest spot in Super Smash Bros. Brawl earns a mention in our best Wii games, and our best GBA games list is full of the kind of 2D platforming Mania revived. For more recent Sega news, see Crazy Taxi: World Tour’s Tokyo Game Show update, and our best Switch 2 games of 2026 covers what is worth playing now.
Source: Takashi Iizuka and Hunter Bridges, interviewed by Game Informer, September 24, 2026.