Sega reportedly considered ending Sonic before the first movie changed its course

That larger audience is also affecting what Sonic Team wants from future games. Iizuka said longtime players often expect action-platforming, while some newer fans who arrived through movies and animation place more emphasis on story. He wants upcoming games to respond with stronger narrative focus without abandoning the series' gameplay roots.

Sonic now runs on two tracks

Iizuka described the game strategy as a split between modern and classic Sonic. Modern projects emphasize the character's current style and appeal to newer fans, while the classic track continues the 2D platforming lineage represented by Sonic Mania and Sonic Origins. The approach gives Sega room to court different audiences without treating every release as the same product.

The interview also shows how fan response has altered individual characters. Shadow was originally intended to die at the end of Sonic Adventure 2, Iizuka said, but his popularity led Sonic Team to bring him back in Sonic Heroes. After a starring role in Sonic X Shadow Generations and greater prominence in the films, Iizuka said Shadow's popularity is now approaching Sonic's.

For Iizuka, that history connects the franchise's near-cancellation to its current expansion. He credited fans continuing to buy Sonic games with keeping the series alive, while the movie's reach gave Sega a broader audience to build around.