Sonic Forces: Speed Battle

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Sonic Forces: Speed Battle
Development staff
Developer(s)	Sega Europe SEGA HARDlight
Publisher(s)	Sega
Producer(s)	Andrew McMillan
Video game overview
Series	Sonic the Hedgehog series
Latest version (update history)	Version 3.0.2 (22 October 2020)
Release date(s)	Soft launch: INT 11 September 2017 Official release: iOS INT 2 November 2017 Android INT 15 November 2017
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	App Store: 9+ PEGI: 3+
Platform(s)	iOS Android

Ready, Set... Sonic!
— Tagline.

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, also referred to as Sonic Forces (Mobile) or Sonic Forces - Racing Battle is a 2017 online battle-racing game. It was developed by Sega Europe and SEGA HARDlight for the Android and iOS mobile devices to promote the then-upcoming Sonic Forces at the time. It was soft-launched by Sega on the App Store (and eventually Google Play) on 11 September 2017 in the Philippines and on 20 September 2017 in Canada. It was officially released worldwide on 2 November 2017 for iOS and on 15 November 2017 for Android.

Development

The development team behind Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle was first in development in June 2016 after analyzing the latest capabilities of present-day phones. It began as a prototype by SEGA HARDlight, checking if synchronous gameplay would work as well as they expected. These early prototypes used existing tech and games as testing grounds for the gameplay, like Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom. The game was originally planned for the Sonic Boom franchise, using the main cast of characters from Team Sonic.

From the beginning of the project, SEGA HARDlight wanted the game to have flexible levels for more expansive gameplay. For this, they developed a modular system that allowed them to create any track piece they wanted. SEGA HARDlight also wanted, right from the start, for the game to be a skill-based, global multiplayer. While relying on the classic staples in the Sonic series, branching paths on the tracks were added to make the game more exciting and unique. Extra care was also made to ensure the levels fit the mobile environment. During development, the staff focused on making the tracks feel appropriate before polishing their design.

SEGA HARDlight pitched their idea to Sonic Team back in 2016 when the latter was looking for a mobile game. After discussing with Takashi Iizuka, the teams settled on what would become Sonic Forces: Speed Battle. SEGA HARDlight subsequently expanded their team while working on the environments and metagame. After being in development for about a year, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle received a soft launch so SEGA HARDlight could test the game and work out the remaining bugs before the global launch. The game was scheduled to have three Zones with twelve tracks for its global launch, with more Zones being planned on being developed. It was revealed on 16 March 2018 that Mystic Jungle would appear as a new Zone in an upcoming update.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Sonic Forces: Speed Battle is very similar to that of Sonic Dash and Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom, with a competition element from Sonic Rivals added to it. Instead of an endless runner, it is a basic runner where players each choose a character and race against each other online in real-time on one of many finite tracks selected at random, based upon City, Green Hill, Sky Sanctuary, and Mystic Jungle. Characters are unlocked over time by reaching certain positions when completing races. During races, players can collect up to 100 Gold Rings (which serve to increase their movement speed) and dodge obstacles as they progress to reach the goal (represented by the "Phantom Ruby Prototype"). Getting hit by obstacles will cause the player to lose Rings and slow down momentarily. After a race, the players get to keep the Rings they have collected.

While racing, the playable characters are always running forward automatically. At the same time, the players can use the Spin Jump and Slide to dodge obstacles and destroy enemies. They can also interact with other paths, normally utilizing rails. Each character has different levels of Speed, Acceleration and Strength stats, as well as a unique selection of power-ups that can be obtained from Item Boxes along the race courses. These items can be used for the players' own benefit or against their opponents.

At the end of the race, players can earn Battle Chests which grant a range of Cards to a particular character. In addition, the first and second place finishers receive a Victory Chest which can be unlocked to earn larger bonuses, such as a large number of Rings or Cards for multiple characters each. Red Star Rings are featured as premium currency which can be obtained from Free Chests or purchased using real money which can be used to purchase additional Rings, Chests or unlock Victory Chests that are already acquired. Free Chests are distributed to the player every four hours, and up to two of them can be stored at a time. Players can view each others' Trophies in the online leaderboards.

Collecting enough cards for a character will allow the player to level it up using Gold Rings, which improves the racer's items' effects and the number of Rings they start the race with.

Based on which position they finish the race in, players will then gain or lose Trophies, a numerical matchmaking ranking system akin to an Elo rating system in other competitive games. This matchmaking gameplay mechanic is part of the "Tier" system, which determines which courses the player can play on and the number of rewards the player can earn from Chests.

By upgrading characters, players are awarded with XP, which will increase their level:

Lv.	XP
1	0
2	20
3	50
4	75
5	100
6	225
7	450
8	700
9	1,000
10	2,000
11	4,000
12	5,000
13	7,000
14	14,000
15	22,000

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When a player's level increases, their Ring Boost and Resistance also increase. Ring Boost increases the maximum amount of speed the player can gain by collecting Rings in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle. The higher the player's Ring Boost is, the faster they can go. Resistance, on the other hand, decreases the effect attacks from other players have on the player's character. The higher the player's resistance is, the greater the reduction will be.

Missions

Every 8 hours, every player will be given a new random mission (up to three of which can be left uncompleted at a time) which awards Rings or Red Star Rings, and cards for upgrading characters. These missions range from tasks such as "Destroy 30 Badniks." to "Star Runner" missions, which require playing five races with a certain character.

Seasons

Seasons are month-long events that take place in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle. First unlocked in tier 4, they can be entered by finishing a race in first place at least 3 times during that season and will award a chest with a certain amount of cards at the end of the month, with the number of cards increasing the higher the player's tier. Upon reaching the first prestige tier (tier 8) at 4,000 Trophies, any trophies earned past that number will be converted into prestige points at the end of the season and reset back to 4,000. These points are shown on a separate leaderboard, which only updates at the end of each season.

Upgrades

It is possible to make upgrades to the characters to improve their attributes and weapons when enough cards have been collected. Each character can be upgraded a total of sixteen times. The rarity of a character determines how many Cards and Rings will be required to upgrade it to the next level, as well as how much XP the character will award.

Lv.	Outcome	Cards Required				Rings Required				Player XP
		Common	Rare	Super Rare	Special	Common	Rare	Super Rare	Special	Common	Rare	Super Rare	Special
1	Unlock	90	60	30	300	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2	Boost time extended	30	10	6	30	100	200	400	1,000	10	20	40	40
3	Starting Rings: 5	50	20	8	60	400	900	2500	5,000	20	40	80	80
4	Mine effect upgraded	90	40	12	90	900	1,800	5,000	15,000	30	60	120	120
5	Starting Rings: 10	140	70	20	120	1,600	3,700	9,000	30,000	40	80	160	160
6	Offensive attack upgraded*	200	120	40	150	2,500	6,000	16,000	60,000	50	100	200	200
7	Starting Rings: 15	300	200	60	180	3,600	9,000	24,000	100,000	70	140	280	280
8	Boost time extended	450	300	80	210	5,000	12,700	32,000	150,000	90	180	360	360
9	Starting Rings: 20	650	400	100	240	6,600	18,700	50,000	200,000	110	220	440	440
10	Mine effect upgraded	900	500	130	270	8,600	26,200	70,000	250,000	130	260	520	520
11	Starting Rings: 25	1,300	600	160	300	11,300	33,700	85,000	300,000	150	300	600	600
12	Offensive attack upgraded*	1,700	700	200	350	22,000	41,200	100,000	400,000	170	340	680	680
13	Starting Rings: 30	2,250	800	240	400	18,600	48,700	130,000	500,000	200	400	800	800
14	Boost time extended	2,950	900	280	450	23,300	60,000	160,000	600,000	240	480	960	960
15	Starting Rings: 35	3,700	1,000	330	500	28,000	75,000	200,000	800,000	280	560	1,120	1,120
16	Mine effect upgraded	4,600	1,100	400	600	33,300	90,000	240,000	1,000,000	320	640	1,280	1,280

*_{Bashosen, Chao Guardians, Chopper Chomp, Fireball, Frozen Chopper Chomp, Lightning, Moto-Bug, Soul Surge, Tail Strike, Whirlwind: Chance, increased chance or guaranteed chance of picking up two or three
Ice Wave: Covers three lanes and increased freeze effect
Steal: Increases level of stolen items
Strike Out: Increases speed and duration
Blizzard Bomb, Chao Attack, Cyan Laser, Drac-O'-Lantern, Dragon Dance, Fire Whirl, Firework Flurry, Harvest Time, Trap Shot, Wipeout: Increases damage or range}

Gimmicks and obstacles

• Dash Panel
• Grind Rail
• Spikes
• Bottomless pit
• Conveyor Belt

Characters

Playable characters

Common

Character	Stats	Projectile Item	Boost Item	Trap Item	First available
Amy	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 5/10 Strength: 7/10	Lightning	Ice Boost	Ice Mine	Launch
Charmy	Speed: 7/10 Acceleration: 8/10 Strength: 4/10	Whirlwind	Wind Boost	Tornado	Launch
Classic Sonic	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 5/10 Strength: 5/10	Moto-Bug	Invincibility	Tornado	v1.0.1 (1 November 2017)
Knuckles	Speed: 7/10 Acceleration: 4/10 Strength: 9/10	Fireball	Invincibility	Explosive Mine	Launch
Omega	Speed: 8/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 7/10	Moto-Bug	Electro Boost	Explosive Mine	Launch
Silver	Speed: 6/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 6/10	Whirlwind	Illusion Boost	Tornado	v1.0.1 (1 November 2017)
Sonic	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 5/10 Strength: 3/10	Fireball	Power Sneakers	Ice Mine	Launch
Tails	Speed: 8/10 Acceleration: 7/10 Strength: 3/10	Moto-Bug	Wind Boost	Tornado	Launch

Rare

Character	Stats	Projectile Item	Boost Item	Trap Item	First available
Blaze	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 4/10 Strength: 8/10	Fire Whirl	Fire Boost	Lava Bomb	v1.4.0 (17 January 2018)
Cream	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 9/10 Strength: 4/10	Chao Attack	Bunny Boost	Chao-nado	v1.5.0 (22 February 2018)
Espio	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 8/10 Strength: 6/10	Whirlwind	Illusion Boost	Illusion Mine	Launch
Jet	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 5/10 Strength: 5/10	Bashosen	Wind Boost	Tornado	v2.1.0 (10 July 2018)
Rouge	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 8/10 Strength: 6/10	Lightning	Illusion Boost	Booby Trap	Launch
Storm	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 10/10	Whirlwind	Wind Boost	Zap Trap	v2.5.0 (14 November 2018)
Tangle	Speed: 7/10 Acceleration: 5/10 Strength: 10/10	Tail Strike	Tail Spring	Tail Strike	v2.19.0 (7 July 2020)
Vector	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 8/10 Strength: 8/10	Fireball	Invincibility	Bubble Bomb	Launch
Wave	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 7/10	Whirlwind	Wrench Rush	Explosive Mine	v2.3.0 (6 September 2018)
Whisper	Speed: 8/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 7/10	Cyan Laser	Green Hover	Pink Spikes	v2.19.0 (7 July 2020)

Super Rare

Character	Stats	Projectile Item	Boost Item	Trap Item	First available
Big	Speed: 7/10 Acceleration: 7/10 Strength: 10/10	Chopper Chomp	Umbrella Boost	Lilytrap	v1.8.0 (10 May 2018)
Chaos	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 5/10 Strength: 9/10	Ice Wave	Ice Boost	Ice Mine	v1.0.1 (1 November 2017)
Metal Sonic	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 7/10	Steal	Electro Boost	Explosive Mine	v1.0.1 (1 November 2017)
Shadow	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 9/10 Strength: 3/10	Lightning	Power Sneakers	Storm Cloud	Launch
Tikal	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 5/10	Chao Guardians	Chao Chase	Captive Light	v2.18.0 (2 June 2020)
Zavok	Speed: 7/10 Acceleration: 9/10 Strength: 10/10	Fireball	Fire Boost	Explosive Mine	v1.0.1 (1 November 2017)
Zazz	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 10/10 Strength: 5/10	Moto-Bug	Electro Boost	Star Trail	v2.2.0 (31 July 2018)
Zeena	Speed: 8/10 Acceleration: 9/10 Strength: 7/10	Blizzard Bomb	Electro Boost	Explosive Mine	v2.15.0 (10 December 2019)

Special

Character	Stats	Projectile Item	Boost Item	Trap Item	First available
All-Star Amy	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 4/10 Strength: 8/10	Strike Out	Home Run	Tornado	v2.11.0 (19 June 2019)
Slugger Sonic	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 5/10 Strength: 6/10	Strike Out	Home Run	Ice Mine	v2.11.0 (19 June 2019)
Santa Big	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 9/10 Strength: 7/10	Frozen Chopper Chomp	Festive Umbrella Boost	Flue Shot	v2.7.0 (12 December 2018)
Elf Classic Sonic	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 5/10	Moto-Bug	Ice Boost	Flue Shot	v2.6.0 (29 November 2018)
Excalibur Sonic	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 5/10 Strength: 7/10	Soul Surge	Meteor Charge	King's Judgement	v2.20.0 (25 August 2020)
Ice Slicer Jet	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 7/10 Strength: 5/10	Trap Shot	Ice Boost	Ice Mine	v2.13.0 (17 September 2019)
Treasure Hunter Knuckles	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 4/10 Strength: 9/10	Lightning	Gold Rush	Rocky Road	v3.0.0 (7 October 2020)
Longclaw	Speed: 8/10 Acceleration: 10/10 Strength: 6/10	Lightning	Wind Boost	Cyclone Charge	v2.17.0 (28 April 2020)
Lunar Blaze	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 7/10 Strength: 7/10	Dragon Dance	Fire Boost	Pyro-Mine	v2.8.0 (23 January 2019)
Lantern Silver	Speed: 7/10 Acceleration: 10/10 Strength: 6/10	Firework Flurry	Illusion Boost	Pyro-Mine	v2.9.0 (13 February 2019)
Baby Sonic	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 10/10 Strength: 2/10	Whirlwind	EMP Boost	Storm Cloud	v2.16.0 (29 January 2020)
Teen Sonic	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 5/10	Whirlwind	Ring Portal	Zap Trap	v2.16.0 (24 January 2020)
Reaper Metal Sonic	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 5/10 Strength: 9/10	Harvest Time	Ice Boost	Dead End	v2.14.0 (23 October 2019)
Elite Agent Rouge	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 6/10 Strength: 5/10	Moto-Bug	Gold Rush	Bat Bomb	v3.0.0 (7 October 2020)
Witch Rouge	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 7/10 Strength: 7/10	Drac-O'-Lantern	Wind Boost	Booby Trap	v2.4.0 (22 October 2018)
Vampire Shadow	Speed: 10/10 Acceleration: 8/10 Strength: 4/10	Drac-O'-Lantern	Electro Boost	Storm Cloud	v2.4.1 (31 October 2018)
Spring Cream	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 10/10 Strength: 4/10	Chao Attack	Bunny Boost	Hedge Maze	v2.10.1 (11 April 2019)
Tidal Wave	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 9/10 Strength: 5/10	Wipeout	Wrench Rush	Ice Mine	v2.12.0 (24 July 2019)
Tropical Storm	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 7/10 Strength: 8/10	Wipeout	Wind Boost	Storm Cloud	v2.12.0 (24 July 2019)

Non-playable characters

• Cheese
• Dr. Eggman
• Froggy

Enemies

• Aero-Chaser
• Badnik (Paramount) (Golden Bay Zone tracks only)
• Buzz Bomber
• Egg Pawn

Tracks

The tracks are based on known locations from Sonic Forces, such as the City, Mystic Jungle and the version of Green Hill with sandy pyramid valleys. Sky Sanctuary, despite not being in Sonic Forces, is also present:

• Green Hill:
  • Pyramid Valley
  • Sandy Hills
  • Corkscrew Canyon
  • Desert Falls (Removed)
  • Parched Palms
  • Parched Palms R (Removed)
  • Pyramid Valley R
• Sky Sanctuary:
  • Temple Gate
  • Celestial Skyway
  • Pinnacle Peaks
  • Ancient Isles
  • Spiral Heights
  • Temple Gate R
  • Celestial Skyway R (Removed)
• City:
  • Sunset Bridge
  • Splash Highway
  • Red Gate Ruins
  • Red Gate Bay
  • Viaduct Valley
  • Red Gate Bay R
  • Splash Highway R (Removed)
• Mystic Jungle:
  • Lambent Grove
  • Electric Arbor
  • Tangled Tunnels (Removed)
  • Dash Vegas
  • Glowing Grotto

In promotion of the Sonic the Hedgehog film, a new location and tracks based on the film were added:

• Golden Bay Zone:
  • Street Retreat
  • Suburban Speedway
  • High Hill Park

Reception

The reception for Sonic Forces: Speed Battle since its launch has had a range of quite positive to mixed. The head of HARDlight, Chris Southall, stated that the game "exceeded expectations" shortly after launch. The game has a 4.4/5 star rating on the Google Play Store with over 450 thousand ratings, and a rating of 4.6/5 stars on the App Store with over 40 thousand ratings. It currently has a Metacritic rating of 7.4. The online battle-racing game also earned a spot on the '#10 Top games' category on the Google Play Store.

Additionally, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle has received individual ratings for various aspects of the game on the Google Play Store. These include: Gameplay (4.5 stars), Graphics (4.6), and Controls (4.4).

Sales

Two weeks after its launch period, the iOS version of Sonic Forces: Speed Battle had gained 2 million downloads. As of 16 March 2018, the game has over 12 million downloads. It managed to exceed 10,000,000 downloads on the Google Play Store. On 21 April 2020, the game passed the 50 million download milestone.

Update history

• Version 0.0.1 (12 September 2017) - Initial soft-launched release of the game.
• Version 0.0.2 (15 September 2017) - Implemented bug fixes and gameplay refinements.
• Version 0.0.3 (17 September 2017) - The update brought some changes and fixes including:
  • Matchmaking - fixed a lock up on loading screen after returning from a disconnection.
  • In-game Rail Grinding – fixed an issue with teleporting players after landing on a rail.
  • Fixed an issue with Dash Panels appearing submerged on inclines for Green Hill Zone.
  • Account Login – fixed an issue with device account changes not being detected on next login.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 0.0.4 (25 September 2017) - The update brought the following changes:
  • Android performance improvements.
  • Fixed Lightning item-related crashes that could cause all players to drop out of a race.
  • Boosts and Shields now have a cooldown before the player can pick up a new item in that slot.
  • Destroying Badniks now awards the player Gold Rings.
  • The Red Star Ring cost for chest unlocking will now reduce over time.
  • Made balance adjustments to the Trophies awarded in the higher tiers.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 0.0.5 (28 September 2017) - Fixed an issue where some players will have experienced a pause at the beginning of matches, and an issue where some ads did not close properly.
• Version 0.1.0 (12 October 2017) - The update brought the following changes:
  • Reduced the height of the wind effect on the Tornado trap to show that it can be jumped over.
  • New info dialogue explaining the Star Runner.
  • Android builds now support screen ratios up to 2:1, the Galaxy S8 and similar devices are now supported correctly.
  • Bug fixes and optimizations.
• Version 1.0.0 (25 October 2017) - The update brought the following changes:
  • A new introduction to the battle races during loading times. These displays the course being played, all players' names, their chosen character, Trophies and their player and character levels.
  • Lots of gameplay and balance improvements.
    • The Item slots now properly display multiple Fireballs, Tornados and Moto-Bugs Items if they were picked up.
    • The Tier level Trophy thresholds have been increased for the following Tiers: Fighter (200 → 300), Specialist (400 → 600), Veteran (700 → 1000), Leader (1000 → 1500) and Hero (1500 → 2100).
    • The Power stat has now been renamed as the Strength stat.
    • The following characters have their stat values adjusted: Shadow (Speed: 10/10 → 9/10), Rouge (Speed: 9/10 → 8/10 and Strength: 6/10 → 5/10), Omega (Speed: 5/10 → 7/10), Vector (Speed: 7/10 → 5/10), Espio (Speed: 6/10 → 7/10) and Charmy (Acceleration: 10/10 → 9/10).
    • Players can now only collect up to 100 Rings (top running speed is still capped at having 100 Rings).
    • Lightning now damages and takes Rings away from hit opponents. It also has a new visual effect.
    • Omega's Invincibility has now been replaced by the Electro Boost.
    • Fixed an issue that caused all items to be set to the level of the player using them rather than the level of the character they belong to.
• Version 1.0.1 (1 November 2017) - The update brought the following changes:
  • The game's app icon has been changed.
  • Current players can refer the game to new players to earn additional reward chests.
  • Chaos, Classic Sonic, Metal Sonic, Silver and Zavok have been added as playable characters.
  • The Tier level Trophy thresholds have been increased for the following Tiers: Fighter (300 → 500), Specialist (500 → 1000), Veteran (1000 → 1500), Leader (1500 → 2250) and Hero (2100 → 3000).
  • The Trophy system was re-engineered to provide effective matchmaking between players, capping all players to have 3000 Trophies. Players who had over 3000 Trophies that were affected by the loss of Trophies were given an exclusive Chest as compensation.
• Version 1.0.3 (3 November 2017) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements including:
  • All Victory Chests have their unlock times increased. (Silver: 2 hours → 3 hours, Gold: 4 hours → 8 hours, Platinum: 8 hours → 12 hours, Diamond: 12 hours → 1 day/24 hours)
  • Lowered number of Gold Rings required to upgrade Common and Rare characters.
  • The amount of XP required to raise the player's level have increased for all levels.
  • Adjusted stat values of the following characters: Omega (Strength: 9/10 → 7/10), Shadow (Speed: 9/10 → 10/10), Espio (Strength: 7/10 → 6/10), Vector (Strength: 10/10 → 9/10).
• Version 1.1.0 (15 November 2017) - This version also marked the global release of the game in Google Play. Google Play version owners were treated to an exclusive Welcome Bundle of rewards (consisting of a Tier 1 Diamond Chest, 10000 Gold Rings and 150 Red Star Rings) and also made the following changes:
  • Achievements have been added.
  • The daily Battle Chest count limit now resets everyday at the same time as with the Star Runner character (8am UTC).
  • All Chests in the game have new designs.
  • The Diamond Chest has been replaced by the Emerald Chest (The Emerald Chest still provides identical rewards to that of the Diamond Chest but its unlock time is 12 hours and its maximum Red Star Ring cost is 240. The player will still retain any Diamond Chests they have acquired prior to the update and can be unlocked as normal).
  • The maximum Red Star Ring cost of unlocking Victory Chests have been increased. (Silver: 20 → 30, Gold: 40 → 80, Platinum: 80 → 120)
  • Players that finish a race in second place now also obtain Victory Chests (previously only first place finishers can earn them).
• Version 1.1.1 (21 November 2017) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements
• Version 1.1.3 (23 November 2017) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements
• Version 1.1.4 (28 November 2017) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements
• Version 1.2.0 (6 December 2017) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • The app icon has been changed.
  • The Home and initial loading screens' backgrounds have been changed to a Christmas theme.
  • The News feed has been updated and is now part of the Home screen (previously it was one of the bottom screen panels).
  • A “remove adverts” button is added to the Home screen (which takes the player over to the Red Star Rings section of the Store screen.
  • The leaderboards is now separate from the Progress screen and is relegated to a newly added Rankings screen.
  • The player can now only change their in-game name once for free. For subsequent name changes, the player must spend 100 Red Star Rings to do so.
  • All tracks in the game have received winter-themed makeovers for the season.
  • The Lightning Item has been adjusted so that it can now be avoided.
  • Booby Trap Item's visual effect when affected has been changed.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.2.1 (7 December 2017) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.2.2 (11 December 2017) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.3.0 (4 January 2018) - Winter themes have been removed.
• Version 1.3.0 (10 January 2018) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.3.1 (11 January 2018) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.4.0 (17 January 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Blaze has been added to the game as a playable character.
  • Two new items, Fire Whirl and Lava Bomb, have been added to the game.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.4.2 (31 January 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Fixed a bug where the Lightning attack could become unusable.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.5.0 (22 February 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Cream has been added to the game as a playable character.
  • Viaduct Valley has been added to the game as a new track, along with Triple Dash Pads.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.5.2 (March 2018) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.6.0 (3 April 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Mission system added.
  • Two new Mystic Jungle tracks added: Lambent Grove and Electric Harbor.
  • New music for Mystic Jungle tracks.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.6.1 (April 2018) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.7.0 (26 April 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • It is now possible to swap out missions.
  • Sound effects have been added to the missions menu.
  • Sandy Hills added.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.7.2 (May 2018) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 1.8.0 (May 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Big the Cat has been added to the game as a runner.
  • Three new Items, Lilytrap, Chopper Chomp and Umbrella Boost, were added.
  • New track, Tangled Tunnels, was added.
• Version 2.0.0 (31 May 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Seasons have been added, where players can climb prestige tiers and earn rewards.
  • Layout adjustments were made to each track.
  • The menu designs were updated.
• Version 2.0.2 (20 June 2018) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.0.3 (1 July 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Nearly all characters have had their base stats tweaked to level the playing field.
  • Chopper Chomp, Umbrella Boost, Illusion Boost, Booby Trap and Bubble Bomb were slightly buffed.
  • Wind Boost was given a slight nerf.
  • Traps received a slight power reduction across the board.
  • The distance from first place required for a guaranteed boost has been increased.
  • Old tracks are no longer removed from the matchmaking pool when one reaches a new Tier.
• Version 2.1.0 (10 July 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Jet the Hawk has been added to the game as a runner.
  • A new Item called the Bashosen can be used.
  • New track Pinnacle Peaks can be unlocked at Tier 6.
• Version 2.2.0 (31 July 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Zazz has been added to the game as a runner.
  • A new Item called the Star Trail can be used.
  • New track Dash Vegas can be unlocked at Tier 7.
• Version 2.2.1 (6 August 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Gold Rings are now lost on a percentage basis to prevent the lead player from escaping the pack as easily.
  • The game no longer crashes if the player takes Wind damage after crossing the finishing line.
• Version 2.3.0 (6 September 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Wave has been added to the game as a runner.
  • Two reverse tracks called Pyramid Valley R and Celestial Skyway R have been added.
  • Korean language support has been added.
  • A bug fix where the race position no longer shows incorrectly when the player crosses the finish line.
• Version 2.4.0 (22 October 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Event Missions are now available, they can be completed for rewards and unique characters.
  • Two mysterious new characters will be arriving for Halloween.
• Version 2.4.1 (28 October 2018) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.5.0 (14 November 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • A new character will arrive soon.
  • A new event mission will arrive soon.
  • Balance change to the Bashosen item - the trail no longer causes damage, but will instead slow opponents.
  • The Chao-nado and Lava Bomb no longer target the player using them.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.6.0 (29 November 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • A new character will arrive soon.
  • A new event mission will arrive soon.
  • A new track will arrive soon.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.7.0 (12 December 2018) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • A new character will arrive soon.
  • A new event mission will arrive soon.
  • New mission type: Candy Cane.
  • The Lava Bomb and Chaonado items no longer target other players behind the player.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.8.0 (23 January 2019) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • New holiday characters will arrive soon.
  • Changes to track rotations for the new Seasons will arrive soon.
  • New markers make it clearer where nearby rivals are.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.9.0 (19 February 2019)
  • A new event character will arrive soon.
  • Changes to the track rotations will arrive soon.
  • Splash Highway R has been added.
  • Greatly decreased the amount of damage dealt by Fire Boost
  • Halved the duration of Invincibility while doubling its speed.
  • Lowered the length of Wrench Rush.
• Update on 1 April 2019 - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Duration and speed of all boosts significantly reduced.
  • Significantly increased the likelihood of picking up a boost when not in 1st.
  • Balance tweaks to various boosts within the new system.
• Version 2.10.0 (11 April 2019) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • New Special holiday characters will be added.
  • A new type of event will be introduced.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.10.1 (11 April 2019) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.10.2 (30 April 2019) - Improved camera performances across all devices.
• Version 2.11.0 (19 June 2019) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Camera performance has been improved and the camera should no longer fall below the track.
  • Performance improvements have been made across all devices.
  • Metal Sonic's Steal can no longer target Boost items.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.11.1 (19 June 2019) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.12.0 (24 July 2019) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • New Special characters will be added, as well as new events.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.13.0 (17 September 2019) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Brawl Mode has been added.
  • New music has been added.
  • Lava Mine texture has been fixed.
• Version 2.14.0 (23 October 2019) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • A new Special character has been added to the game.
  • Tails' Vault has been added as a new feature to the game.
• Version 2.14.1 (6 November 2019) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.14.2 (18 November 2019) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.15.0 (10 December 2019) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • A new Super Rare character is set to be added to the game.
  • New Special seasonal events are set to be implemented into the game.
• Version 2.16.0 (29 January 2020) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • New music has been added to the game.
  • Game has been decorated with themes based on the Sonic the Hedgehog film.
  • Golden Bay Zone has been added to the game.
  • The new tracks, Street Retreat, Suburban Speedway and High Hill Park have been added to the game.
• Version 2.16.2 (16 March 2020) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.16.3 (27 March 2020) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.17.0 (28 April 2020) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.18.0 (2 June 2020) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • A new Super Rare character is set to be added to the game.
  • Three new items have been added to the game: Captive Light, Chao Chase and Chao Guardians.
  • New sporting events to be added soon.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.19.0 (7 July 2020) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • The initial screen of the game now features the artworks of Tangle and Whisper, the next characters that will be added.
  • Two new Rare characters are set to be added to the game.
  • Five new items have been added to the game.
  • Announcement of a new Community Challenge later on in the season.
  • Improved jump physics.
  • Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 2.20.0 (25 August 2020) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • A new Special character has been added to the game.
  • Missions are now shown on the matchmaking screen as well.
  • Animations are improved for Tangle and Whisper's attacks.
  • An issue of the position of rivals not showing properly has been resolved.
  • Issues with Classic Sonic, Elf Classic Sonic, Chaos and Witch Rouge's collisions and collecting Items has been resolved.
  • A visual fix for shadows not appearing smoothly has been implemented.
• Version 3.0.0 (7 October 2020) - The update has brought the following changes:
  • Two new Special Characters have been added! Treasure Hunter Knuckles and Elite Agent Rouge are stealing their way into the game!.
  • A BRAND NEW Events page has been added to the Home Screen, this will allow you to easily check on current Team Vs and Community events.
  • Leaderboards have been moved! Reach them by tapping on the trophy icon next your player name.
  • An issue with notifications causing crashes on devices has been fixed.
  • Fixed an issue where some characters could appear too large on the home screen under certain conditions.
• Version 3.0.1 (October 2020) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.
• Version 3.0.2 (22 October 2020) - Implemented bug fixes and refinements.

Achievements

Name	Description	Rewards
You're too slow!	Win 10 Battles	5 pts
You think you can keep up with me?	Win 50 Battles	10 pts
You think you can beat me?	Win 250 Battles	25 pts
The ultimate lifeform	Win 1000 Battles	50 pts
Long time no see	Unlock 5 Runners	10 pts
Welcome to the next level	Unlock 10 Runners	25 pts
Now we're talking!	Unlock 15 Runners	50 pts
Get a load of this!	Perform 10 Runner Upgrades	25 pts
The more the merrier	Perform 50 Runner Upgrades	50 pts
All systems, full power!	Perform 150 Runner Upgrades	100 pts
We can do this!	Reach Tier 3	5 pts
This is happenin'!	Reach Tier 4	10 pts
You've got this Sonic!	Reach Tier 5	25 pts
One more last fist bump	Reach Tier 6	50 pts
Reach for the stars	Reach Tier 7	100 pts

Staff

• Hardlight Staff: Alastair Graham, Andrew Paul, Andrew McMillan, Antony Lavelle, Ashley Khan, Billie McMillan, Chris Southall, Claire Chamielec, Claudia Farre, Daniel Darnbrough, David Foster, Dawid Esterhuizen, Gordon Theobald, Harinder Sangha, Ian Sullivan, Jacob Jensen, Jan Strajnar, James Back, Joel Atkinson, Joseph Stone, Liam Rüdel, Lisa Waldron, Louis Macan, Laura Back, Lubomir Baran, Louis McLaughlin, Lucy Lavelle, Luke Boscott, Marc-Etienne Beinio, Mark Milton, Matt Allan, Neall Jones, Neil Armstrong, Neil Topham, Nia Knibbs Vaughan, Nick Adams, Paul Twynholm, Richard Smith, Richard Sugden, Rebecca Thompson, Rob Ruck, Ryan Simpson, Scott Griffiths, Scott Orchard, Simon Foster, Shaun Lawrence, Stephanie Brooke-Harris, Stuart Grant, Tom Gaulton, Thomas Quartly, Tom Woodward, Yordan Gyurchev
• Thanks: Adrian Klimczak, Anthony Lewis, Csaba Berenyi, Inna Slepstova, James Booth, Miklos Hajma, Oleg Salyakhov, Richard Tawn, Rick Nath, Simon Dew. Thank you to all at SEGA, our contractors and our fans.
• Special Thanks: Iizuka Takashi
• Presented by: SEGA
• Developed by: HARDlight

Trivia

Teaser image displaying silhouettes of Chaos, Classic Sonic, Zavok, Silver and Metal Sonic.

• Prior to version 1.0.1, the game files as well as a teaser image posted in the in-game's news bulletin hinted that Silver, Classic Sonic, Metal Sonic, Zavok, and Chaos were going to be added as playable characters at a future date.
• This game marks the first time Storm the Albatross is playable outside the Sonic Riders series, as well as his first playable appearance in eight years since Sonic Free Riders.
• The initial main cast of the game (except for the inclusion of Amy) is the same as Sonic Runners Adventure, another mobile game released the same year.
• The music for the levels, composed by Tomoya Ohtani, are the themes from Lost Valley, Luminous Forest, Mortar Canyon and Sunset Heights in Sonic Forces.
  • Prior to the 2.13.0 update, the music that played for every track aside from the one in Mystic Jungle was the theme for Lost Valley.
• In the menu, the music that plays is "This Is Who You Are", performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.
  • Before the 2.13.0 update, the menu music used to play "This Is Our World - Phase 1", which was also performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.
• This is the first new game since Sonic Battle in which Chaos is a playable character.
• The titles of the game's achievements are references to known phrases in the Sonic series.
  • "You're too slow" is one of Sonic's catchphrases in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
  • "You think you can keep up with me?" is one of Dr. Eggman's lines of dialogue when racing against Tails in Speed Highway from Sonic Adventure.
  • "You think you can beat me?" is derived from one of Robotnik's phrases, "Do you think you can beat me?" when playing in the two-player mode in Sonic Adventure 2.
  • "The ultimate lifeform" is a title that belongs to Shadow the Hedgehog.
  • "Long time no see" is a phrase that has been constantly used throughout the series, namely Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, and Sonic Forces itself.
  • "Welcome to the next level" is a throwback to the tagline used in Sega commercials between 1992-1994.
    • Sonic also said this line in Shadow the Hedgehog.
  • "Now we're talking!" is a line stated by Sonic upon seeing the Black Bull in Shadow the Hedgehog.
  • "Get a load of this!" is one of the lines used by Robotnik in the Egg Walker and Egg Viper boss battles from Sonic Adventure.
  • "The more the merrier" is derived from Eggman's lines of dialogue, "You know what they say... The more the merrier!", during his boss battle in Mad Matrix from Shadow the Hedgehog.
  • "All systems, full power!" is one of the phrases Robotnik states during his Egg Hornet boss battle in Sonic Adventure.
  • "This is happenin'!" is derived from Sonic's first line of dialogue in Sonic Adventure, "Ah, yeah! This is happenin'!"
  • "You've got this Sonic!" is a line spoken by Shadow in Sonic Generations when cheering him on to fight against the Time Eater.
  • "One more last fist bump" is a line from the song "Fist Bump".
  • "Reach for the stars" is the name of the theme song for Sonic Colors.

    

• Some of the characters have their official artwork for the game derived and repurposed from existing artwork of other games in the Sonic series:
  • Sonic, Tails, Classic Sonic, Chaos, Shadow, Metal Sonic and Zavok's artwork are recreations of their Sonic Forces ones.
    • Knuckles' artwork is also a recreation of his Sonic Forces one, but rather than looking sideways like in the original, he is facing to the front.
  • Amy, Charmy, Omega, Espio, Rouge, Vector, Wave, Tikal, Froggy and all of the Special characters have brand new artwork made for this game.
    • However, brand new artwork for Sonic, Tails, Classic Sonic, Rouge and Shadow can be seen in various social media posts (usually derived from their Special counterparts).
  • Silver's artwork is based off of his Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) one.
  • Blaze, Cream, Cheese, Jet and Big's artworks are repurposed from existing 3D stock artwork of them.
  • Storm's artwork is a recreation from his Sonic Free Riders one.
  • Tangle and Whisper's artworks are based off of their official concept artwork from the IDW Publishing Sonic the Hedgehog comic series.
  • Zazz's artwork is a recreation of his Sonic Lost World one.
  • Zeena's artwork is reused from her Sonic Lost World one.
  • Teen Sonic's artwork is based off of promotional artwork from the Sonic the Hedgehog film.
  • Dr. Eggman's artworks seen in social media posts are reused from his Sonic Forces ones.
    • The same thing applies to Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow's artworks seen in the game's starting screen.
  • Lantern Silver's artwork shares the same pose as Silver's artwork for Team Sonic Racing, though the character was released before this game.
  • Elite Agent Rouge's artwork shares the same pose as Rouge's artwork for Sonic Heroes.
• Excluding Special characters, none of the characters added to the game after the v1.0.1 update make any sort of appearance in Sonic Forces.
• So far, Wave is the only character that was not teased before she was added to the game.
• Prior to Big's reveal, an update allowed players to randomly see Froggy at the end of stages. Now, Froggy can be seen at the end of the races if at least one player is using Big.

• As an April Fools joke in 2018, the official SEGA HARDlight Twitter made a spoof character bio for Aaron Webber.
• Slugger Sonic has the number 91 on his jersey, referencing the year of the first Sonic game. All-Star Amy has the number 93 on her jersey, referencing the debut year for Sonic the Hedgehog CD, the first game Amy appeared in. Ice Slicer Jet has the number 06 on the back of his jersey, referencing the release year for Sonic Riders, the game Jet debuted in.
• The promotional posters used for the Grim Gala and Phantom Fête events are references to the posters for Frakenstein and Dracula respectively.
• This is the first game where Zeena is a playable character.
• Baby Sonic is the only character that does not need to slide under obstacles, though he still retains the mechanic to do so.
  • Baby Sonic is also the only character to feature a distinct upgrade path (at max level, he can have 50 starting Rings but his Whirlwind item is never upgraded).
• The title of Whisper's event, "Guardian Angel", refers to the title Silver gave her in the IDW Publishing Sonic the Hedgehog comic series.
• Sonic and Rouge are the only characters to have three versions of themself in the game.
• Excalibur Sonic is the only character that puts up a shield when crashing into an object or when he is hit as a reference to his vastly increased strength from Sonic and the Black Knight.
  • He is also the only character to have an unique entrance animation (his armor floats around while he begins running in his base form).
• The promotional poster used for the Treasure Rivals event is a reference to the Indiana Jones franchise.

Videos

External links

• Official website

Sonic the Hedgehog mobile phone games

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle

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