"Sega Trademarks Ecco The Dolphin, Sparking Comeback Rumors"

Last December, Sega filed trademarks for the long-dormant IP, Ecco the Dolphin. Read on to find out what this may mean for the franchise!

Sega Revives Ecco IP With Trademark

Ecco The Dolphin Returns

As reported by Gematsu, Sega filed trademarks for Ecco and Ecco the Dolphin late last December, sparking rumors of a potential revival for the IP which has been dormant for 24 years. This news became public today, although the trademarks were filed back on December 27th, 2024.

Originally released in 1992 by the Hungarian game development studio Appaloosa Interactive (formerly known as Novotrade International) and published by Sega, Ecco the Dolphin features the adventures of the titular bottlenose dolphin. Ecco battles extraterrestrial alien threats to prevent them from taking over the planet. The series saw four additional installments up until the year 2000. A sequel to the 2000 title, Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, titled Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe, was planned but ultimately canceled due to the decline and eventual discontinuation of the Sega Dreamcast.

Currently, Sega is a prominent game developer and publisher, while Appaloosa Interactive ceased operations in the mid-2000s. However, many of its former staff members, including Ecco the Dolphin's creator Ed Annunziata, remain active in the gaming industry. Annunziata released Space War Arena in 2019 and has expressed hope for an Ecco sequel in the future, stating in a 2019 NintendoLife interview, "One thing I can say is in the future, people are playing this game. I never give up!"

As of now, there are no other concrete developments regarding the future of Ecco the Dolphin. Keep an eye out for more updates. This could be another addition to Sega's growing list of IPs being revisited. In the past two years, Sega has announced numerous projects, including revivals of classic franchises such as Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Virtua Fighter, as well as new IPs like the mysterious Project Century and an "RPG-like" Virtua Fighter.