The coronavirus outbreak may have forced SXSW 2020 into cancellation for the first time in 34 years, but SEGA decided that their Sonic SXSW 2020 panel must live another day.
SEGA announced on the Sonic the Hedgehog’s official Twitter page that they will be rescheduling its SXSW panel, originally titled “Gotta Go Fast: The Official Sonic the Hedgehog Panel,” to April but it will be held in a different format.
The panel was supposed to be held on March 20 at SXSW, in keeping with the theme of giving Sonic the Hedgehog news on the 20th of every month this year.
SEGA also mentioned that would be giving “a special announcement or two” about Sonic’s future. Whether the special announcements are related to the games or spin-off products remain to be seen.
SXSW 2020 was supposed to run from March 13 – 22 in Austin, Texas, but to reduce to the risk of a coronavirus outbreak, the city had no choice but to cancel the event.
As for what format the Sonic SXSW 2020 panel will be held on, it may be something of a YouTube live stream from their office, a la Nintendo Direct. However, we don’t know if that will be the case.
With other gaming companies deciding to pull out of gaming conventions such as the GDC and E3 to hold their own events even before the coronavirus outbreak, it’s nice to see SEGA maintain the positive, upbeat attitude their beloved blue hedgehog would in dire situations like this and go to great lengths to find another way to deliver Sonic news the best way they know how.
