A new project has been launched by Sega to translate its historic IP into other mediums, with NiGHTS and Sakura Wars amongst the candidates.
In 2026, Sega might be synonymous with Sonic The Hedgehog, Persona, and Like A Dragon, but the company is always teasing the prospect of working with some of its older franchises.
Back in December 2023, Sega announced it was working on new games based on Jet Set Radio, Streets Of Rage, Golden Axe, Crazy Taxi, and Shinobi. However, nearly three years later, only one of those has been released, in the form of Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance.
While the status of the other games is unknown, Sega has now announced a new initiative which also promises to revive old IP, but none of it seems to have anything to do with new games.
The project, titled Sega Universe, aims to ‘shine light on classic titles that are still loved by fans, distinct from current titles, and aims to transcend the world of games and deliver new ways to enjoy them’.
According to Sega, this will begin with ‘anniversary projects’ dedicated to IPs which are celebrating key anniversaries in 2026.
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It’s unclear what IPs will be spotlighted, but on the Sega Universe website, there is a ‘2026 Selected’ tab which highlights nine titles celebrating big anniversaries this year.
These are Fantasy Zone (40th), OutRun (40th), Streets Of Rage (35th), Rent A Hero (35th), Guardian Heroes (30th), NiGHTS Into Dreams (30th), Dynamite Deka [aka Die Hard Arcade] (30th), Sakura Wars (30th), and SGGG aka Segagaga (25th).
It’s not clear whether all these franchises will be celebrated in some form, but the fact they’re all highlighted suggests so. However, don’t expect a new Sakura Wars game, as it sounds like all these IPs are being lined up for projects in other mediums.
‘Games and characters born in the past,’ the website’s description reads. ‘Transcending generations and borders, they continute to live on in the same universe – even today. Beyond games, expanding into film, music, fashion, and even further forms of entertainment.
‘While changing form, the experience is constantly updated. Everything created here remains in someone’s memory and is passed on to the next generation.’
We already know some of these franchises are getting big screen adaptations. An OutRun movie directed by Michael Bay and starring Sydney Sweeney is in the works, along with a Streets Of Rage movie from John Wick creator Derek Kolstad, but the latter is reportedly stuck in limbo, so don’t expect that to arrive anytime soon.
It’s more than likely this initiative might amount to nothing more than a few T-shirts and a celebratory mug, but Sega has gone to the effort of making a trailer for Sega Universe (seen above), so maybe there’s some hope for old school Sega fans yet.
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