Sega has filed a trademark for the name 'Sonic Frontiers', immediately sparking fresh speculation about the upcoming Sonic game scheduled for 2022. That makes it more likely that this could indeed be the final title of Sega’s next major Sonic project.
The trademark was filed in Japan in both English and Japanese. Filings like these are not an official announcement by themselves, but they often provide a strong indication of the name a publisher intends to use. Especially since Sega had already confirmed earlier this year that a new Sonic game is in development for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch, and PC, the connection is quickly made.
Back in May, Sega announced a new Sonic game for 2022 during Sonic’s 30th anniversary celebration, although no official title was revealed at the time. Soon after that, the name 'Sonic Rangers' and other clues surfaced through metadata and an early press mention that appeared too soon. That led to rumors that Sega was working on a bigger, more open-ended 3D Sonic game. By mid-October, those rumors were fueled further by an anonymous claim suggesting the game would be an open-world-style adventure, in a style some compared to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Sega still has not confirmed those gameplay rumors. What the registration of Sonic Frontiers does suggest, however, is that 'Sonic Rangers' may only have been a working title, or at the very least not the name under which the game will ultimately be sold. That also gives the wider rumor cycle around the new Sonic title a bit more weight, even if there is still no final clarity about the structure of the game itself.
For now, fans will still have to wait for an official reveal from Sega. But if trademark filings, leaked names, and earlier teasers all point to the same project, then Sonic Frontiers currently looks like the strongest candidate for the name of Sonic’s next big adventure.
セガが「ソニック フロンティア」「SONIC FRONTIERS」を商標出願。
— れんか (@Renka_schedule) November 8, 2021
来年発売の新作のタイトルかもしれません。 pic.twitter.com/DsVQmDC8DH
