Twitter is a strange platform. Something starts to trend based on a nugget of information (or misinformation) and takes on a life of its own.Sonic the Hedgehogis certainly a franchise that has experienced theviral nature of Twitter’s trending topics. Today’s #CancelSonicTwitter trend has ratcheted up interest, and the response from fans has been something to behold.
Fans of the speedy hedgehog might assume that anythingSonicrelated trending on Twitter would have to do with the announcement regardingSonic’s 30th anniversary celebrationsset to take place next year. A slew of merchandise is on the way though the festivities are lacking any game announcement as of yet. But, this is not whySonicis trending today. It has to do with the fanmade gameSonic Smackdown, created by a group who call themselves ArcForged. The game is a fast-paced, 2D fighter in the vein ofMarvel v. Capcomand for a fan project, looks quite good.
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The team behindSonic Smackdownupdated their download page to include the option for people to pay for the game to support the development of this fanmade project. The fee for “Proof of Concept” is optional though, as fans are welcome to skip past it and download the game for free. This set the Sonic fandom ablaze however, with a number of salty fans starting the #CancelSonicTwitter hashtag to protest the optional charge.Sonic the Hedgehog, as a franchise, is still one ofgaming’s most popular franchises, but perceived mismanagement of the character and series has led to a devoted, and sometimes divided, fandom.
In the Twitter storm surrounding this trending topic, however, is a lot of love being shown for Sonic as well. Some folks are upset at being asked to donate to keep a fan project running, but many more are standing with Sonic and some of the posts with the hashtag are filled with heartwarming comments about their favorite hedgehog. This is a devoted community that has drawn incredible amounts of fan art, as well as made other games likethe VR game,Virtua Sonic.
Sega has embraced the meme status Sonic enjoys, and allows fan projects to carry on unimpeded. Even allowing a game likeSonic Smackdownto exist is a huge win for the fan community, which is why the #CancelSonicTwitter hashtag may seem a little extreme.
With thesequel to theSonic the Hedgehogmovieset for release in 2022, there is still demand for Sonic content, fanmade or otherwise. A hashtag on Twitter complaining about a fanmade game shouldn’t dampen most fans' enthusiasm.
