Ecco the Dolphin Revived? SEGA Trademark Suggests Series Return

Sega's recent trademark filings for the long-dormant Ecco the Dolphin IP have ignited speculation about a potential franchise revival. Let's dive into what this could mean.

Ecco's Possible Return

Gematsu reported that Sega filed trademarks for "Ecco" and "Ecco the Dolphin" in late December 2024 (December 27th to be precise), sparking excitement among fans after a 24-year hiatus.

Originally released in 1992 by Sega, with development by Appaloosa Interactive (formerly Novotrade International), the Ecco the Dolphin series captivated players with its unique underwater adventure featuring Ecco, a bottlenose dolphin battling extraterrestrial threats. The series spanned four installments before concluding in 2000. A planned sequel, Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe, was unfortunately cancelled following the decline of the Sega Dreamcast.

While Sega remains a prominent game developer and publisher, Appaloosa Interactive is defunct. However, many of its former staff, including Ecco the Dolphin's creator Ed Annunziata, continue to contribute to the gaming industry. Annunziata, who released Space War Arena in 2019, expressed his enduring hope for an Ecco sequel in a 2019 interview with NintendoLife, stating, "One thing I can say is in the future, people are playing this game. I never give up!"

Currently, concrete details regarding the future of Ecco the Dolphin are scarce. However, this trademark filing suggests the possibility of a new entry joining Sega's impressive roster of projects. In the last two years, Sega has announced a remarkable number of titles, encompassing classic franchises such as Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Virtua Fighter, alongside newer IPs like Project Century and the RPG-like Virtua Fighter iteration. The addition of Ecco the Dolphin to this lineup would be a welcome surprise for many.