Visitors at Sega‘s Tokyo store location will soon get a chance to see a life-sized statue of Sonic the Hedgehog that contains synthetic DNA. Since debuting in 1991, Sonic has been Sega’s main mascot, quickly becoming an international icon. The blue blur has remained relevant thanks to a steady stream of video games, TV shows, movies, comics, and more. There are few characters in gaming that have managed to remain as popular over the years, and Sonic helped make Sega a household name.
2026 marks the 35th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog, and Sega is celebrating the occasion in a number of different ways. New DLC was revealed for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds at Summer Game Fest, which will add content based on Godzilla and Evangelion. Sega also pulled back the curtain on a new spin-off game called Sonic Pico Park.
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Synthetic DNA in a Sonic Statue
New video game content is unsurprising for the anniversary of a major gaming icon, but Sega’s collaboration with LOM BABY is certainly unique. Using biotechnology, LOM BABY has created an artificial DNA strand made up of all the core elements of Sonic the Hedgehog. These core elements include Sonic’s spin dash, his heroism, and even his struggles with water. That strand was then placed inside a green Chaos Emerald within the transparent chest of the statue. LOM BABY has done similar art collaborations with gaming companies, including a recreation of the Resident Evil T-Virus earlier this year.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
It’s unclear whether Sega will bring the LOM BABY collaboration to other countries, or if this will remain exclusive to Japan. The statue can be found in Sega’s Tokyo Store location starting on June 23. That’s just two days after the 35th anniversary of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game’s release on the Sega Genesis, so the timing lines up fairly well. The whole thing is pretty unusual, but it should make for an interesting display piece for Sonic fans that happen to be in the area.
While 2026 marks a significant milestone for the character, it seems like next year could be even bigger for the franchise. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 comes to theaters in 2027, continuing Paramount’s highly-successful film franchise. The movie will seemingly put a big focus on Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, two characters that made their big-screen debut at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The movies have helped introduce a lot of new fans to the franchise, and Sega has taken advantage by releasing new games to coincide. That’s exactly what happened in 2024, when Sonic x Shadow Generations was released on multiple platforms around the same time Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was in theaters.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
Easy (15s)Medium (10s)Hard (5s)Permadeath (5s)
Sega’s plans for future games are a mystery at the moment, but a Sonic CD remake has been rumored. Amy and Metal Sonic made their debuts in that game, so the timing could line up with the theatrical arrival of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will also continue to see support in 2027, and the developers have indicated that there might be even more characters and tracks added if there’s enough demand from players. The Sonic series might be turning 35 this year, but it doesn’t seem to be slowing down as it gets older.
Source: Sega PR