Sonic Rumble: Sega’s free-to-play 32-player Sonic game has been delayed until spring
Sonic Rumble’s global launch was supposed to happen during the winter
Sega has confirmed that its upcoming free-to-play game Sonic Rumble has been delayed until this spring.
The multiplayer party game, which sees up to 32 players taking control of toy versions of Sonic characters, was originally revealed in May for iOS and Android before a PC version was also confirmed.
The game was soft launched last year and is currently available in ‘pre-launch’ in 44 countries, but Sega had previously said it would eventually get a global launch everywhere else (including the UK and US) in the winter.
However, the company has now confirmed that the global launch for Sonic Rumble is coming this spring, along with a version 1.2.0 update including new modes and features.
The new update will include a Quick Rumble mode for short single-round games, a new Rival Rank mode where players can earn rewards by ranking up, and a Crews feature where players can form their own groups.
Certain characters will also get specific skills, in an attempt to differentiate them. Amy Rose, for example, will get to use her Piko Piko Hammer during the game.
“We would like to extend a huge thank you to our players and Sonic fans for their patience in waiting for the global launch of Sonic Rumble,” Sega said in a statement, acknowledging the delay. “The team is committed to delivering a memorable experience for Sonic fans with even more new game mechanics, new features, and more exciting content to look forward to.”
Last year Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka confirmed that Sonic Rumble won’t have any gacha or play-to-win mechanics, because they’re not popular in the West.
“In the Japanese and Asian markets, it’s common to have to spend tens of thousands of yen [in a game] until you draw a rare character and finally get to move on,” Iizuka explained.
“But this is not the case in the global market, especially for an action game like Sonic Rumble, where players should be able to enjoy the game on an equal footing.
Instead, the game will feature a Season Pass structure, which will mostly revolve around character skins and emotes, as well as a daily updating Ring Shop where players will be able to exchange rings (earned through gameplay or purchased with real money) for cosmetic items.
