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 December last year, sparking excitement and rumors of a potential revival for the IP, which has been dormant for 24 years. The news was made public today after being filed back on December 27th, 2024.

First released in 1992 under the Hungarian game development studio Appaloosa Interactive (previously known as Novotrade International) and published by Sega, Ecco the Dolphin follows the adventures of the titular Ecco, a bottlenose dolphin who battles extraterrestrial alien threats to prevent them from taking over the planet. The series saw four installments up until the year 2000. There was a planned sequel to the 2000 title, Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, titled Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe, but it was canceled following the decline of the Sega Dreamcast and the overall cessation of the console’s production.

Currently, Sega is a prominent game developer and publisher, while Appaloosa Interactive became defunct in the mid-2000s. However, its former staff remains active in the video game industry, including Ecco the Dolphin’s creator, Ed Annunziata, who released a game called Space War Arena back in 2019. In a 2019 interview with NintendoLife, Annunziata expressed his ongoing hope for an Ecco sequel, stating, "One thing I can say is in the future, people are playing this game. I never give up!"

As of now, there have been no further concrete developments about the future of Ecco the Dolphin, so stay tuned for more updates. Nevertheless, it may soon join the extensive list of IPs being revitalized by Sega. Over the past two years, Sega has announced numerous projects, many reviving classic franchises like Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Virtua Fighter. Additionally, it is developing new IPs such as the mysterious Project Century and a new "RPG-like" Virtua Fighter.