Sega's new Sonic the Hedgehog design sparks conspiracy theories

When it comes to the design of their favourite hedgehog, Sonic fans can be a picky bunch. The blue blur has been rendered in countless styles throughout his 34 year history, and some are certainly more popular with fans than others. So when an official new Sonic the Hedgehog render drops, it's naturally going to scrutinised and pored over. Enter Sega's new 35th anniversary Sonic design.

Sega has revealed a new character design ahead of next year's celebrations. The design, which adorns a new 2026 calendar, depicts a version of sonic with larger spikes (or 'quills') – similar to the design from the early noughties Sonic Adventure era. Which, naturally, has fans feverishly speculating that a remake of the Dreamcast games could be on the cards for 2026.

"Quills looking a little extended like Adventure era," one Redditor comments, while another adds (a little prematurely), "Adventure remakes confirmed holy shit". Another user calmly chimes in, "DANG THEY MADE HIS QUILLS EXTRA LONG WE GOING TO THE ADVENTURE ERA WITH THIS ONE."

Indeed, fans have been crying out for remakes of the Sonic Adventure games for a long time. A fan-made version Unreal Engine 5 version has proven hugely popular, and with retro games getting remade seemingly every other day right now, it's likely only a matter of time until Dreamcast era Sonic gets his moment in the sun again.

Sonic 35th anniversary Logo from the Official 2026 Calendar from r/SonicTheHedgehog

The calendar also reveals a new logo for the 35th anniversary. Featuring Sonic's head along with what can only be described as a chaos emerald-shaped growth, it isn't a patch on the brilliant 30th anniversary logo.