Sonic Mania 2 Could Have Happened, But Sega Went in a Much Worse Direction

As a passionate Sonic gamer, it’s no secret that the success of Sonic Mania has always left us eager for more. For years now, we’ve been aware that Sega had plans for a Sonic Mania 2, with Whitehead and Evening Star Studio stepping up to lead the charge.
But here’s where things get interesting – it seems that Sega wasn’t content with sticking to the classic pixel art style from the original game and the Genesis era. Instead, Evening Star Studio decided to experiment with a more modern 2.5D approach.
Recently, Whitehead took to Bluesky to share some behind-the-scenes insight into this process. He revealed concept art from Evening Star, which included a Badnik that ended up finding a home in Sonic Superstars. This sneak peek offers us a glimpse into what could have been for Sonic Mania 2 – let’s hope we see more of these concepts in future Sonic games!








