Skip to main content

'Sonic Mania' trailer on Steam reveals an unconfirmed August 15 release

Sonic Mania‘s release date may have been inadvertently revealed by Steam. First reported by GameSpot, the trailer on Steam’s European page displayed an August 15 launch date.

Sega has yet to announce an official date for the title, but considering that the date was given in a trailer, it seems likely that the Sonic Mania will in fact launch August 15. However, the North American Steam page for Sonic Mania retained the “Summer 2017” launch window that we’ve known, and at publication, the European trailer has reverted back to a summer 2017 window as well.

Recommended Videos

Sonic Mania, which remixes classic Sonic stages like Green Hill Zone and Flying Battery Zone, in addition to new levels, was last shown at SXSW in March. Sega announced that although the game would miss its spring launch, it would arrive before the end of summer.

Originally unveiled as part of Sega’s 25th-anniversary celebration for the iconic franchise, Sonic Mania faithfully follows the 16-bit aesthetic of the three numbered Sonic the Hedgehog titles, as well as Sonic & Knuckles, all of which launched on Sega Genesis in the early ’90s. Early Sonic titles are widely considered to be the pinnacle of the series more than 25 years later, and Sonic Mania will let users play as everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog, and also as Tails and Knuckles.

Sonic Mania will be available for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It’s still unclear how much the game will cost at launch, but it’s not likely to go for the traditional $60 tag, given that the super cool collector’s edition is just $70. With E3 fast approaching, we should learn Sonic Mania‘s official launch date and price in a few weeks, if not sooner. At E3, we also expect to learn more about Sonic Forces, the next 3D game in the franchise that bears a promising resemblance to Sonic Generations. Sonic Forces is slated for 2017 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Netflix subscribers are getting five games, including Sonic Mania Plus
Sonic give a peace sign in an animation.

Netflix unveiled the lineup of games it plans to bring to its game catalog over the course of May. The ones that stand out the most are Sega's excellent Sonic Mania Plus and Askiisoft's violently satisfying action game Katana Zero.

Sonic Mania Plus is the definitive 2D Sonic game. Made by fan-game makers turned game developers, Sonic Mania Plus is equal parts a throwback to Sonic's Genesis games and a clever platformer for the modern day. It has been available on PC and consoles for years, but Netflix is finally giving players an official way to play it natively on mobile. Sonic Mania Plus is available through Netflix starting today, May 7.

Read more
This $15 Steam game is a must-buy for Zelda fans
A ship dodges bullets in Minishoot' Adventures.

The past year was the Legend of Zelda series' moment to shine thanks to the excellent Tears of the Kingdom. Unfortunately, there's something bittersweet about that: It means we're likely not getting another Zelda game for a long time. While Switch ports of some classic 3D games have been long-rumored for Switch and we could always get a surprise remake à la Link's Awakening, Link isn't currently scheduled to set off on his next journey anytime soon.

Thankfully, there's a great new game available on Steam that can help fill the void: Minishoot' Adventures. The $15 indie title is an ode to classic, top-down Zelda games -- but there's a twist. It's also a twin-stick shooter that has players piloting a tiny ship, blasting enemies in every direction, and weaving around chaotic bullet hell encounters.

Read more
I’m a lifelong Sonic fan. Here’s why I’m loving Sonic Dream Team
Sonic Dream Team key art with Sonic the Hedgehog, Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit, Knuckles the Echidna, Rouge the Bat, Miles “Tails” Prower, and Ariem in the background.

When I was 9 years old, shortly after my cousin reintroduced me to Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on the GameCube, I had a dream that triggered my love for Sonic forever once I woke up. In that dream, Eggman kidnapped me for some heinous purpose, encasing me in a capsule for a weapon that could potentially destroy the planet. The details of that dream are fuzzy -- most dreams are -- but I recall Sonic rushing in to defeat Eggman and rescue me, putting an end to his evil plans once and for all.

Twenty years later, the trailer for Sonic Dream Team caught me by surprise with visuals reminiscent of Sonic Lost World and animated sequences (including a full opening cinematic, complete with Eggman having multiple arms just like the spider guy from Spirited Away) by none other than Sonic illustrator Tyson Heese. The title alone reminded me of the dream my 9-year-old self had so much, and I got the chance to relive it with my iPhone plugged into my Backbone controller (an experience I highly recommend, by the way).

Read more