Sega’s delisting Sonic Generations, but somehow doing it in a good way

Sega is delisting 2011’s Sonic Generations from Steam and the Xbox Games Store to make way for the game’s upcoming expanded remaster, Sonic X Shadow Generations. But the publisher is taking a rarely seen approach in its plan to remove the original Sonic Generations from sale — it will both delisting the title from sale and make it available for people who really want to purchase it. While the original Sonic Generations will be removed from sale as a stand-alone title on Sept. 9, Sega said Friday that “we’ve heard your feedback, and want to help preserve the game.” “Therefore, Sonic Generations will still be available via bundles of other iconic Sonic titles on Steam and Xbox,” the publisher said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Existing owners of the title will still be able to download and play, as well. Lastly, we are happy to confirm that mods on the Steam version will NOT be affected!” The original version of Sonic Generations was pulled from the Xbox store in late July. On Steam, the game is listed under the Sonic Generations Collection, which includes the original game and its Casino Night DLC. It’s not clear which bundle or bundles the original Sonic Generations will be sold through in the future, but the game is also available as part of Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog: Ultimate Bundle on Steam. The practice of delisting original versions of games in favor of remasters or re-releases of similar titles is common, especially with Sega. In 2022, the publisher pulled Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD from digital stores ahead of the launch of Sonic Origins, which included those four games. Other publishers have made similar moves. Rockstar Games removed Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from digital stores, right before it launched the troubled Definitive Collection of that trilogy. Ubisoft removed Beyond Good & Evil HD ahead of the release of Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition. And IO Interactive delisted the 2016 Hitman and its 2018 sequel, but as part of a larger effort to roll those games into Hitman: World of Assassination. Sega’s plan to remove the original Sonic Generations as a stand-alone title, but still maintain its availability seems like the best solution for this kind of situation — hopefully something that other publishers will adopt as remasters, collections, and anniversary editions become more common. Sonic X Shadow Generations is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on Oct. 25. The game includes a full remaster of the original Sonic Generations and a brand-new Shadow the Hedgehog story campaign in which the gun-toting ’hog battles his old nemesis, Black Doom.