Ahead of the 35th Anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog in 2026, Sega has started taking pre-orders for a 2026 calendar featuring its titular mascot. The calendar's cover featured various Sonic characters along with the Chaos Emeralds, with Sonic himself assuming a new pose. A new anniversary logo was also spotted on the calendar, which indicated that Sega's 2026 plans could go beyond just one product.
First released in June 1991 on the Sega Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog was the Blue Blur's first game release. As one of the most influential Genesis games, Sonic the Hedgehog was set across six unique zones laden with various pitfalls and robotic foes. Although the first Sonic game lacked some of Sonic's signature abilities, such as the Spin Dash and the Homing Attack, its focus on high-speed platforming and careful jumping laid the foundation for subsequent entries. Sonic the Hedgehog's success was followed by several sequels, with 2024's Sonic X Shadow Generations being the latest.
Sega shares an official timeline for the Sonic the Hedgehog series, detailing where certain games fit in the ever-growing Sonic continuity.
While Sonic's 35th Anniversary is a year away at the time of this writing,...
