Sega Trademarks Ecco The Dolphin, Fueling Rumors Of The Series’ Comeback

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. The news became public today, following the filing on December 27th, 2024.

First released in 1992 by the Hungarian game development studio Appaloosa Interactive (formerly known as Novotrade International) and published by Sega, Ecco the Dolphin follows the adventures of Ecco, a bottlenose dolphin who battles extraterrestrial alien threats to save the planet. The series saw four 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 renowned game developer and publisher, while Appaloosa Interactive ceased operations in the mid-2000s. However, its former staff remains active in the video game industry. Ecco the Dolphin's creator, Ed Annunziata, released a game called Space War Arena in 2019 and expressed his hope for an Ecco sequel in a 2019 interview with NintendoLife, 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 regarding the future of Ecco the Dolphin. Stay tuned for more updates. This could potentially add Ecco to the growing list of IPs Sega is actively working on. Over the past two years, Sega has announced numerous projects, including revivals of classic franchises like Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Virtua Fighter, as well as new IPs such as the mysterious Project Century and a new "RPG-like" Virtua Fighter.