Sega Turned Sonic The Hedgehog Into A VTuber

Update: Sega warned us, and it wasn't kidding. Sonic is now a VTuber, as you can see in the below clip. Right now, it's in Japanese, but we're willing to bet this isn't the end.

Original story follows...

Sonic has worn many hats over his career, from anti-smoking advocate to rebel guitarist with a cause, but his next gig might just be his strangest one yet: VTubing.

The news comes from Ryokutya2089 via Siliconera, who has previously posted key information from physical publications such as Famitsu and Weekly Shonen Jump. Ryokutya2089's source isn't mentioned, but it might be an upcoming Sonic 30th Anniversary column from producer Takashi Iizuka and art director Kazuyuki Hoshino that Famitsu magazine will publish on June 24.

Hoshino has allegedly stated that his team is working on turning Sonic into a VTuber as part of a new broadcast project which also includes plans to open up a Sonic theme park. Hoshino added that the project will allow fans to "communicate with Sonic in real-time."

VTubing has slowly begun taking off in the West lately, as YouTubers create content using a virtual avatar that interacts with viewers in real-time by using facial and gesture recognition technology. Popular in Japan, VTubing is seen by some experts to be a possible future for content creation.

While there may not be too much Sonic content during the 30th anniversary of the blue blur in 2021, Sega still has plenty of content on the way for 2022 and beyond. Sega recently announced multiple Sonic games, including a new game from Team Sonic called Sonic Colors: Ultimate that releases next year, and a compilation containing five classic Sonic games.

Fans can also check out the Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia that's available to preorder now, which chronicles the history of Sega's mascot. On the film side of the franchise, a sequel to the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie is in development and will include the first live-action appearances of Tails, Knuckles, and the Chaos Emeralds.