Sega has announced a new Sonic project that shines the spotlight on some underrated characters. On January 20, 2026, the official Sonic YouTube channel released a trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog Presents: The Chaotix Casefiles. The audio drama podcast will focus on the Chaotix Detective Agency and is set to release on January 27, 2026.
2026 marks the 35th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog, and Sega has promised a big year for the blue blur. Sonic is one of the most recognizable video game characters worldwide, with games, TV shows, comics, and movies under his belt. But while Sonic gets most of the attention, his supporting cast has plenty of fans too.
The Chaotix Casefiles focuses on Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, and Charmy Bee. The trio originally appeared in Knuckles’ Chaotix for the Sega 32X in 1995. The podcast will be available “wherever you listen to podcasts,” according to the trailer. Details about the story are sparse, but the trailer hints that the detective trio teams up with Sonic to investigate a theft at a city museum. What starts as a small case seems to spiral into something much bigger.
The show is directed by Ian Jones-Quartey, known for creating O.K. K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, which had a crossover episode with Sonic. Dan Jolley leads the writing, having worked on DC Comics, Transformers games, and consulting for Dying Light. Ian Flynn and Evan Stanley, two prominent voices in Sonic media, are also involved. Sonic’s voice actor, Roger Craig Smith, returns, along with Keith Silverstein as Vector, Matthew Mercer as Espio, and Colleen O’Shaughnessy as Charmy. Sega has teased that other fan-favorite characters will appear, likely voiced by their game actors.
Sonic’s supporting cast rarely gets major attention outside the IDW comics, so a project focused on the Chaotix is a welcome surprise. It follows the success of 2023’s The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, a mystery-themed project praised for being more character-focused. Unlike a video game, the podcast format allows multiple characters’ perspectives and more storytelling freedom.
The Chaotix don’t need complex backstories or dramatic arcs. They’re a capable team just trying to get the job done. With a skilled creative team behind it, fans can expect the characters to get the attention they deserve in this new audio drama.
