It’s been 35 years of adventures with our favorite blue Hedgehog, Sonic. To celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog’s birthday, Sega of America hosted a special livestream where they celebrated with Sonic content creators and game announcements. One of those announcements is the release of Sonic Frontiers – Definitive Edition for Nintendo Switch 2. The Definitive Edition includes the base game, all previously released game updates, and improved graphics and performance. The game was released today, both digitally and physically.
For Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds fans, it was announced that today Classic Sonic and his car, the Blue Blur in his classic 90’s form, will be available for free. For the next free characters, Axel and Amigo were also revealed to be released in August and September of 2026. The next DLC Pack featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be available on July 28. For those racers who want to take things to the next level, the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds World Championship 2026 was announced. Players can register here, with the online qualifiers taking place from June 30, 2026, to July 19, 2026, and the finals on October 9, 2026, in New York, NY.
To celebrate so many years of Sonic games, Sega announced the Sonic the Hedgehog 35th Anniversary Project, which consists of game collections and legacy cartridges:
- Classic Sonic Collection: Experience the Classic version of Sonic on the Nintendo Switch with Sonic Origins, Sonic Mania, and Sonic Superstars! This physical edition will also include a special 35th Anniversary reversible coversheet and logo patch. The Classic Sonic Collection will be launching October 2026 at $49.99 USD.
- Modern Sonic Collection: The Modern Sonic Collection featuring Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Colors: Ultimate, and Sonic Forces for the Nintendo Switch is the perfect bundle for fans of Sonic in his modern era. This physical edition will also include a special 35th Anniversary reversible coversheet and logo patch. The Modern Sonic Collection will be launching October 2026 at $49.99 USD.
- Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2: Legacy Cartridge Collection: Published by iam8bit, the Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2: Legacy Cartridge Collection will both be available for pre-order today, June 23, each at $99.99 USD and will ship later this year. Encased in Blue Blur and Two Tail Amber designs respectively, both cartridges are SEGA Genesis compatible and are to be considered museum-grade archival editions, with a limited 1 in 8 infused with Chaos Emerald Energy.
Additional announcements include new updates for the Sonic Forces titles, Sonic Live in Concert, a Sonic the Hedgehog 35th Birthday Spotify Playlist, and Sonic’s Chaos Hunt. If you wish to continue the celebration by playing more Sonic games, check out our ranking of the top 35 Sonic games. For more news on Sonic, stay tuned to GameObserver.
