Sega Leak Teases Return of Franchise That Hasn’t Been Seen in 25 Years

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Spotted by Gematsu, Sega has recently filed new trademarks for “Ecco” and “Ecco the Dolphin” in Japan. These trademarks were filed by Sega at the end of December 2024, which means that this is a recent move from the publisher. For now, it’s not known exactly what Sega might be planning, but the fact that this has happened suggests that an announcement could be on the horizon.

Released in 1992, the original Ecco the Dolphin was an action-adventure title that went on to be hugely popular on the Sega Genesis. Sega later made a sequel in Ecco: The Tides of Time in 1994 and a spin-off dubbed Ecco Jr. in 1995. When the series made the jump to 3D with 2000’s Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, though, this proved to be its final installment. Since then, Sega hasn’t done anything whatsoever with the series despite some requests from longtime fans to see it return.

If Sega is doing something with Ecco the Dolphin, the question then becomes what the nature of this project is. One option could be a remastered collection of Ecco the Dolphin games of the past, which would make sense given that many of these entries have never been on modern hardware. The alternative would then be a wholly new Ecco game, but this might be a riskier option since the franchise hasn’t been heard from in 25 years.

Regardless of what the case might be, it’s clear that Sega is making a renewed effort to revive some of its biggest games of yesteryear. As such, don’t be surprised Ecco the Dolphin joins that growing slate of returning IP in the months ahead.