Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-1031724-20161020032419/@comment-27344811-20170412191151

Currently, we have NO IDEA where Metal is. In Sonic Rivals, that Metal Sonic is just a replacement. We know this because.. well, it has no personality. People assume Eggman just did that to him, but he can't. If Metal evolved like he did n Sonic Heroes, his AI is far too advanced to evise. And we ave NO IDEA where he goes after Sonic Heroes.

Then, the ORIGINAL Metal returns in Sonic Riders, after being disguised as Team Dark's third racer, and after he loses the race, he dissapears again, scattered to the winds...

So where is he? Planing, schemeing. The original might appear in Sonic Forces, seeing how Sonic lost, Metal would probably think he was superior. And he probably WOULD be. SO he returns to good ol' Eggs, and he becomes a general, relishing the fact he can destroy what sonic has loved. Then again, just a theory.