Sega Sammy Holdings' latest investors notice revealsSonic Teamhead Takashi Iizuka is switching to a role at Sega following the success ofSonic Frontiers. Iizuka’s new role at Sega allows him to continue developing titles andSoniclore with expertise gained by working atSonic Teamfor over two decades.
Since the release ofSonic Frontiersthis past November, Sega has been working on new content for the game while building a cohesiveSonicuniverse. Specifically,Sega of America aims to codifySonicloreby hiring lore experts and experienced game developers for future titles. Further,Sonic Frontiersdirector Morio Kishimoto confirms moreSonic2D titles are on the way, leading fans to speculate that a healthy slate ofSonicreleases is already being prepared. AsSonic Frontiersupdates and newSonicprojects continue to be developed at Sega, the company positions the Sonic Team head for a new executive role this year.
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Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka will become the new executive officer of Sega starting April 1 this year according to the company’s investors notice. The newly elected role also grants him the title of Sonic Creative Director at Sega of America. It’s unclear whether Iizuka will step down as Sonic Team head to focus on executive officer and creative director duties at Sega. However, Iizuka will continue to be an important leader fordevelopment of newSonictitlesand media going forward.
Iizuka has been working on theSonicfranchise since the release ofSonic the Hedgehog 3for the Sega Genesis and would go on to create Sonic Team USA in 1999. Sonic Team USA would work on international releases ofSonic Adventure,Sonic Adventure 2, andSonic Heroesbefore being absorbed into Sonic Team proper in 2008. He was promoted to Sonic Team head following the merger of divisions that same year. Nearly 15 years later, Iizuka expects 2023 to be another strong year forSonicwith continued momentum after the release ofSonic Frontiers.
Iizuka’s new role as executive officer and creative director begins right after March 31, which is the end of Sega Sammy’s current fiscal year. Sega is expected to release newSonictitles in the upcoming fiscal year includinga potentialSonic Origins Pluscollection.Sonic Origins Plusmay be one of the first releases with Iizuka serving as executive officer and creative director of theSonicfranchise.
Sonic Frontierswill receive three major updates throughout 2023 with Iizuka continuing to serve as the game’s producer. Players can expect more playable characters like Tails and Knuckles alongside a brand-new scenario.
Sonic Frontiersis available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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