It’s official – Team Sonic Racing has been delayed until May 2019. May 21st, to be exact – an actual, definitive point in time that we can circle on our calendars, which is a huge leap forward after the non-committal “Q4 2018” that’s been haunting us for months and months.

Anyway, here’s how the official Sonic account broke the news…

Now, it’s probably fair to say that nobody fainted in amazement when they read this news. The lack of any firm commitment has caused many a suspicion over the last few months, and indeed a few weeks ago we had a mysterious ad in a Russian magazine which seemed to indicate that Team Sonic Racing wouldn’t be reaching us this side of Christmas. And as the blue blur himself says, “delays are no fun.”

Overall, though, I think this is very positive news. For a start (no offence, Sonic) but the release of Team Sonic Racing was never going to make or break my Christmas. It would have been a positive enhancement, for sure, but we’re blessed with such a rich roster of titles right now; I don’t think any gamer is going to feel bereft come December 25th (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate anyone?) I think this latest Sonic title will benefit hugely from having space to breathe in the freshness of next spring, free from the overbearing presence of Mario, Pokémon, Spyro, Red Dead, Fallout and, heck, even those who have yet to tackle CoD, Assassin’s Creed or Spider-Man. This way, Sonic and his friends will have more of an opportunity to stand on their own two feet and be noticed. (After all, you could argue that Lara Croft’s cluttered arrival in September had a noticeable impact on her sales…)

Also, as the official Sonic account attests, “quality matters most.” Let’s call a spade a shovel – there are clearly some issues with the game that need to be ironed out. And that’s nothing new; most games undergo a rocky journey to the finished disc, and even then there are a fair few glitches to meme about. And when you think about it, Team Sonic Racing could already have been released by now, so in a way it’s getting a whole seven months of extra development time, which is a huge deal. It can only be a good thing, right?

As I said, though, it’s easy for me to be more positive about this kind of delay… You should have seen me when The Angel of Darkness missed its Christmas window in 2002. Norappy. Anyone who tried to pacify me with positive niceties got severely scowled at. Thus, I hope this news hasn’t broken you too much.

Actually, skimming through the comments on the official Facebook page, it’s clear that many people have been supportive of this announcement, which is great to see. Developing a game of this magnitude must cause a fair few headaches and sleepless nights, so let’s send those guys lots of positivity / encouragement / chilli dogs as they crank up a gear and speed into the final lap.

How do you feel about this news? Has your Christmas been crushed? Or are you glad that you’ll be able to play a more rounded title in May of next year? Let me know in the comments below.

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