Last December, Sega renewed trademarks for the long-dormant Ecco the Dolphin IP, igniting speculation about a potential series revival. Let's dive into what this might mean for the franchise.

Sega Revives the Ecco IP with Trademark Filing

The Return of Ecco the Dolphin?

As reported by Gematsu, Sega filed trademarks for "Ecco" and "Ecco the Dolphin" in late December 2024, sparking excitement among fans. This news, filed on December 27th, 2024, has only recently become public.

Originally released in 1992 by Sega and developed by Appaloosa Interactive (formerly Novotrade International), Ecco the Dolphin introduced players to Ecco, a bottlenose dolphin battling extraterrestrial threats. The series spanned four installments until 2000. While a sequel to Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, tentatively titled Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe, was planned, it was ultimately cancelled following the decline and discontinuation of the Sega Dreamcast.

While Sega remains a prominent developer and publisher, Appaloosa Interactive is defunct. However, many of its staff, including Ecco the Dolphin's creator Ed Annunziata, continue to work in the video game industry. Annunziata, who released Space War Arena in 2019, expressed his ongoing 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!"

Currently, no concrete details regarding the future of Ecco the Dolphin have emerged. However, the trademark filings suggest a potential addition to Sega's growing roster of projects. Over the past two years, Sega has announced numerous projects, encompassing classic franchises like Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Virtua Fighter, alongside new IPs such as the enigmatic Project Century and a new "RPG-like" Virtua Fighter experience. Stay tuned for further updates.