Sonic the Hedgehog

{
 "title": "Sonic the Hedgehog",
 "rows": [
 {
 "field": "\n* Video game\n* Film\n* Comic book\n* Television",
 "label": "Genre"
 },
 {
 "field": "1991-present",
 "label": "Years"
 },
 {
 "field": "(link to wikipedia:Sega article, displayed as Sega)",
 "label": "Owner"
 },
 {
 "field": "(link to wikipedia:Sonic Team article, displayed as Sonic Team)",
 "label": "Developers"
 },
 {
 "field": "\n* (link to wikipedia:Naoto Ohshima article, displayed as Naoto Ohshima)\n* (link to wikipedia:Yuji Naka article, displayed as Yuji Naka)\n* (link to wikipedia:Hirokazu Yasuhara article, displayed as Hirokazu Yasuhara)",
 "label": "Created by"
 },
 {
 "field": "\n* (link to Ian Flynn article, displayed as Ian Flynn)\n* (link to wikipedia:Ken Pontac article, displayed as Ken Pontac)\n* [https://sonic.fandom.com/wiki/Shiro_Maekawa Shiro Maekawa]\n* (link to wikipedia:Warren Graff article, displayed as Warren Graff)",
 "label": "Written by"
 },
 {
 "field": "''(link to wikipedia:Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game) article, displayed as Sonic the Hedgehog)''",
 "label": "First installment"
 }
 ],
 "invimages": [],
 "images": [
 "Sonic The Hedgehog.svg"
 ]
}

Minecraft x Sonic the Hedgehog is a merchandise collaboration between Minecraft and the Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise, primarily set during the 30th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic the Hedgehog is a multimedia franchise, beginning in 1991 with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis. The series revolves around the adventures of a blue hedgehog named Sonic, who frequently travels across the world to battle the industrialist supervillain Doctor Eggman. Major characters within the franchise include Miles "Tails" Prower, Sonic's best friend and sidekick, Knuckles, the last of a tribe of echidnas who protect the Master Emerald, Amy Rose, a female hedgehog who wields a hammer and practices fortune telling, and Shadow the Hedgehog, the ultimate lifeform created by Gerald Robotnik.

The franchise was created in an attempt to give Sega a mascot character to compete with Nintendo's Super Mario, with the majority of the games being platformers. Initially, Sonic games were exclusive to Sega’s own consoles, including the Sega Genesis (known as the Mega Drive in Europe and Japan), Master System, Game Gear, Sega Saturn, and the Sega Dreamcast. However, after the commercial failure of the Dreamcast, Sega exited the console market in 2001.^[1] From that point on, Sonic games began appearing on multiple other consoles, including Microsoft’s Xbox, Sony’s PlayStation 2, and Nintendo’s GameCube. Sonic Heroes, which released in 2003, was the first Sonic game to be released across all three major console families.^[2]

The Sonic franchise has become known for its many adaptations into other mediums, more than any other video game series. Two television shows premiered in 1993, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog, with contrasting tones; the former being a slapstick comedy, the latter (commonly referred to by fans as "Sonic SatAM") a dark and serious action show. In promotion of the two series, Archie Comics would produce a comic book featuring elements of both, which would later distance itself from the source material and become the longest running comic based off a video game.^[3] The Archie Comics series would conclude its run on December 28, 2016, with another comic, set within the continuity of the games, succeeding it the following year.

In 2020, a live action/animated film based off the series, starring Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Jim Carrey as Doctor Eggman. The film would prove to be a success, leading to numerous sequels and spin-offs, such as the Knuckles action-sports comedy mini-series.

Announced at the 2025 Summer Game Fest, Steve, Alex, and a creeper were announced for the game as racers with a Minecraft themed track. These are a part of the Season Pass DLC for the game.

On June 14, 2021, a DLC map was released on the Marketplace, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog. Developed by Gamemode One, the map aims to recreate a Sonic game using first person Minecraft framework, featuring levels set in Green Hill, Chemical Plant, and Sky Sanctuary. An update was released to coincide with the release of the film Sonic the Hedgehog 2, adding a new mode set in Labyrinth Zone. 25 skins were included initially, with four more from the films being added alongside the new level.

On July 20, 2021, a second tie-in to the anniversary was released. Developed by The Hive, the skin pack includes two skins of Sonic fans, wearing the logo of the event.

On May 15, 2023, a texture pack was released by Gamemode One, reusing the art style and certain models from the map. Notably, this pack includes wholly new character designs, including a unique iteration of the character Mecha Sonic in place of the wither.

On January 7th, 2025, an add-on was released by Gamemode One, which also reuses the art style and certain models from the map such as skins and rings (the currency). The add-on holds new features such as a level editor which modifies the world in creating a parkour course with custom spikes and jump pads and a shop which allows the player to transform as Sonic or the crew.

Beginning on July 12th, 2021^[4], Minecraft featured server The Hive hosted an event crossing over with the Sonic franchise, in celebration of the 30th anniversary. The server contained six party minigames set inside Green Hill Zone: Chao Rescue, Ring Royale, Ring Dash, Red Light Green Light, Go Fast, and Badnik Range. Each party minigame was based on Chemical Plant Zone, Sky Sanctuary Zone, Speed Highway, Seaside Hill, Rooftop Run, or Planet Wisp. The minigames had background music that came from Sonic Generations Act 2 stages.

The live event was originally scheduled to only be on July 16, however due to popular demand it was rerun on July 25th, with additional events being held in North America and Asia.^[5] The whole collaboration lasted for 2 weeks, concluding on the July 26th.

The hub, which the player joins in, was fully redesigned to match the Sonic aesthetic. Twenty parkour sections were readily available. All around the hub, including parkour, were Sonic-related currency: Rings. This could be used to buy custom permanent game-unlocks for other unrelated minigames.^[6] You could buy Sonic-themed cosmetics from the Ring Shop in the hub. The Ring Shop was loosely based on the Chao Garden's Black Market from Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, and even Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity.

Minigames such as SkyWars and BedWars (Treasure Wars at the time) also celebrated the Sonic event with custom maps based on locations in Sonic.

To promote the Marketplace releases, several short films have been uploaded to social media platforms.

• The series has been referenced in several Minecraft.net articles, independent of the official collaboration.
  • The game was cited alongside Mario as a game Tom Stone played.^[7]
  • Sanic, a parody of Sonic that was popular in the mid-2010s, was referenced in a playthrough of a fan made map.^[8]
  • The Egg Carrier, a flying based of Doctor Eggman appearing in Sonic Adventure, was cited as an inspiration for a build.^[9]

• 👁 Logo for the 30th anniversary event, featured in various Minecraft promotions
  
  Logo for the 30th anniversary event, featured in various Minecraft promotions
• 👁 Icon of Sonic used as the pack icon for the map and on the character items.
  
  Icon of Sonic used as the pack icon for the map and on the character items.
• 👁 Icon of Sonic used on the Pop Culture tab of the Marketplace
  
  Icon of Sonic used on the Pop Culture tab of the Marketplace
• 👁 A pixel adaptation of the 30th anniversary logo, used in the skin pack
  
  A pixel adaptation of the 30th anniversary logo, used in the skin pack

• 👁 Banner for the map.
  
  Banner for the map.
• 👁 Promotional artwork featuring Pac-Man, referencing a common association between the two brands.
  
  Promotional artwork featuring Pac-Man, referencing a common association between the two brands.
• 👁 Promo for the "Trails & Tails" update for the texture pack.
  
  Promo for the "Trails & Tails" update for the texture pack.
• 👁 Image
  
  A creeper badnik being chased by T-Pup.
• 👁 Artwork of a Knuckles T-shirt.
  
  Artwork of a Knuckles T-shirt.
• 👁 Tails and three foxes.
  
  Tails and three foxes.
• 👁 Shadow in the pale garden, beside Tails Doll.
  
  Shadow in the pale garden, beside Tails Doll.
• 👁 Image
  
• 👁 Image
  
• 👁 Sonic and Garrett Garrison.
  
  Sonic and Garrett Garrison.
• 👁 Image
  

• 👁 Several of the franchise's characters, from an event in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
  
  Several of the franchise's characters, from an event in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
• 👁 The Super Sonic Hoodie being worn on the 2023 Mob Vote Event.
  
  The Super Sonic Hoodie being worn on the 2023 Mob Vote Event.
• 👁 Sonic on the Hive server.
  
  Sonic on the Hive server.
• 👁 The Ring Shop on the Hive.
  
  The Ring Shop on the Hive.
• 👁 A countdown to the Sonic event.
  
  A countdown to the Sonic event.
• 👁 Choppers being shot at in the Badnik Range party game.
  
  Choppers being shot at in the Badnik Range party game.
• 👁 A Chao in the Hive next to the Ring Shop.
  
  A Chao in the Hive next to the Ring Shop.
• 👁 Several blocks in the Sonic Texture Pack.
  
  Several blocks in the Sonic Texture Pack.
• 👁 The Hive hub during the Sonic event.
  
  The Hive hub during the Sonic event.

• 👁 A loading tip from Sonic.
  
  A loading tip from Sonic.
• 👁 A loading tip from Shadow.
  
  A loading tip from Shadow.
• 👁 A loading tip from Knuckles.
  
  A loading tip from Knuckles.
• 👁 A template for Knuckles' loading screen.
  
  A template for Knuckles' loading screen.

• 👁 Image
  
• 👁 Image
  

• Minecraft x Angry Birds, another collaboration with a Sega franchise

• "Sonic the Hedgehog is coming to The Hive!" by The Hive – playhive.com, June 22, 2021.
• "Blazing the Game Trail" by Sofia Dankis – minecraft.net, March 8, 2022.
• "Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary" – Sonic Wiki Zone.