Following in the footsteps of his longtime rival Mario,Segais putting Sonic into the franchise’s first multiplayer game, Sonic Rumble, for Android and iOS. Whenever a company announces a mobile game in a beloved series, you probably start to think about what annoying mobile mechanics are going to be included, from timers to pay-to-win content, but in an interview with Autmaton, the game’s director Makoto Tase and head of the Sonic franchise, Takashi Iizuka, made an important clarification.There will be no gacha mechanicsin the upcoming mobile battle royale.
Gacha games are an evolution of loot box design, typically allowing players to spend an in-game currency for a chance at receiving a prize, from a new character to an elite item. Most games with this mechanic are free-to-play turn-based RPGs, or match-3 puzzlers, including Sega Heroes, which was designed by Demiurge, the same team behindMarvel Puzzle Quest. The most popular gacha games today includeGenshin ImpactandAzur Lane, and often gacha games are incredibly successful, butSega is doing something different with Sonic Rumble.
“We’re aiming for a casual system that allows you to just buy what you want quickly for a small, fixed amount, rather than a gacha system that gives you a certain probability of obtaining items.”
In the interview, Tase is up front about Sonic Rumble, explaining, “We’re aiming for a casual system that allows you to just buy what you want quickly for a small, fixed amount, rather than a gacha system that gives you a certain probability of obtaining items.”The choice to not include gacha mechancis, despite their popularity in Japan, was made based on the Western audience.Iizuka clarified that “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. 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.”
Sonic Rumble Officially Announced for iOS, Android
SEGA’s has announced its latest mobile game in the Sonic franchise. Closed Beta from May 24 to 26.
No Gacha but there’s a Catch
Instead of using gacha monetization,Sonic Rumble will rely on the Season Pass model, with new skins and emotes as rewards for those that purchase a pass.
Instead of using gacha monetization,Sonic Rumble will rely on the Season Pass model, with new skins and emotes as rewards for those that purchase a pass. In addition, rings will, unsurprisingly, be an in-game currency that can be spent at a dedicated shop to directly purchase cosmetics. Notably, there is no mention of new characters being locked behind either the Season Pass or in-game purchases. In addition, Tase has promised that there will be no pay-to-win, with unlockables restricted to cosmetics and emotes.
Sonic Rumble is a 32-player battle royale featuring the supersonic hedgehog and hisextensive cast of friends and foes, including Knuckles, Tails, Amy andShadowin aseries of races to collect the most rings. Part of the fun will be using the cosmetics to customize your characters, letting you put them into different outfits or giving them a fun hat. The game is being developed in conjunction withRovio, the studio behind the hitAngry Birdsfranchise, who knows a thing or two about effective mobile game mechanics.
There’s no release date yet for Sonic Rumble outside of the nebulous Winter 2025 mentioned in the reveal trailer.
Source:Automaton
10 Best Sonic the Hedgehog Games
Sonic’s been a rather controversial series, so if you’re looking for the best games to get into the series, this list should help.
