One of the creator’s of Sonic the Hedgehog, Yuji Naka, has just announced a partnership with Square Enix. The former lead programmer and head of Sonic Team took to Twitter to reveal the upcoming plans. In his birthday thanks to fans, he stated the following:
“Thank you for your birthday message. Today I’m 54 years old. How many games will I be able to make by the retirement age, including the original action game that I’m currently making at Square Enix? I’d like to work hard to develop a game that everyone around the world can enjoy.”
It is currently unknown what this “original action game” is set to feature. In addition, a release window was not stated. The legendary programmer is best known for his work on the Sonic the Hedgehog series, which includes Sonic the Hedgehog 1-3, Sonic Adventure 1-2, and Sonic Heroes. He also helped to produce Phantasy Star Online, Samba de Amigo, Nights into Dreams, and Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg.
Square Enix has an excellent track history when it comes to partnering with developers. Yoko Toro’s Nier: Automata is the most recent example in which it garnered universal acclaim, as well as numerous Game of the Year nominations. As of 2019, it has sold over four million units.