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- This article is about the cancelled third episode. For other uses, see Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (disambiguation).
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode III is an unreleased game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was intended to be the third and final episode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. It was meant to be developed by Sega Studios Australia,[1] unlike the previous installments, which were developed by Dimps. Had it been released, it may have featured Knuckles as a playable character, hinted by the character's appearance in an unused cutscene of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II.
Background[]
Within the files of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, unused cutscene data was found with text hinting to a continuation. When asked about it, Ken Balough, a former Sega digital brand manager, said that it was initially meant for Episode III, and that the original idea for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was it to be an episodic trilogy.[1]
In 2025, an unused cutscene for Sonic 4: Episode II was discovered in some beta builds that showcases the Master Emerald glowing, a silhouette of Knuckles, and the Death Egg mk.II reactivating itself above Earth, as it cuts to a white screen with the text "To Be Continued".[2]
Development and cancellation[]
According to Christian Whitehead, he was asked if he was interested in collaborating with Sega Studios Australia, who previously worked on Sonic Classic Collection, as potentially a dev team to work on Sonic 4: Episode III.[1] For unknown reasons, Sega Studios Australia would shut down, while Whitehead and Simon Thomley went on to work on the mobile remakes of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 2013.[1]
Ken Balough stated that the project never came to pass, and that it is unlikely to ever be released.[1]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Luty, Dave (January 5, 2015). UPDATE: SONIC 4 EPISODE 3 WAS PLANNED, THEN CANCELLED. The Sonic Stadium. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved on March 6, 2024.
- ↑ Sonic 4 Episode 2 (Beta 2, 01/27/2012) - To Be Continued Scene. YouTube. Nuclear [NUKELEDGE] (19 April 2025). Retrieved on 19 April 2025.
| 1991-2000 | Sonic's Edusoft (1991) · Sonic the Hedgehog (home computers) (1991) · SegaSonic Bros. (1992) · Sister Sonic (1993) · Sonic the Hedgehog 2 CD (1993) · Sonic Crackers (1994) · Sonic Ride (1994) · Treasure Tails (1995) · Sonic Sports (1995) · Sonic X-treme (1996) (16 (1993), STI (199X), Mars (1994), Saturn (1995)) | |
| 2001-2010 | Sonic the Hedgehog Extreme (2003) · Sonic DS (2004) · Sonic Extreme (GBA) (200X) · Sonic the Hedgehog: Awakening (200X) · Untitled Sonic Chronicles sequel (200X) | |
| 2011-2020 | Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode III (201X) | |