Sega Is Delisting Classic Sonic Games From Digital Stores Ahead Of Sonic Origins’ Launch

Sega plans to remove the digital versions from the Sonic classic games, which will be part of its Sonic Origins Collection.

Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles, and CD will be removed from online storefronts on May 20, a little over a month before the June 30 launch of Sonic Origins. Two exceptions will apply. Sega Ages Sonic 1 and 2 will still be playable on Switch. The same immunity applies to Sonic 2 on the Sega Genesis library for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.

Sega hasn’t provided any reason, however the publisher seems to want players to move towards Origins for their Sonic classics. Rockstar Games made a similar move when it delisted the PC versions of the Grand Theft Auto games that appeared in last year’s ill-fated Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition. Fans were furious at Rockstar’s decision to restrict their choices for classic entry purchases before the collection was launched. That situation further backfired due to the Trilogy’s botched release, and Rockstar eventually restored the standalone GTA titles to PC storefronts. 

Sonic Origins bundles include remastered Genesis-era platforms. The bundle includes enhancements like new animations, gameplay modes and the ability to play as Tails/Knuckles within each game. It’s slated to arrive on PlayStation and Xbox platforms, Switch, and PC. There are two versions of the game. – a $39.99 standard version and a $44.99 Deluxe – A few of the content packages can be found here.