A new Ecco the Dolphin is coming, as well as remasters of the first two games
Ecco and Tides of Time are being remastered by the original creators
A new Ecco the Dolphin game and two remasters are in development, according to the series’ creator.
Ecco creator Ed Annunziata was interviewed on the official Xbox Wire website, as part of an article celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Annunziata – who created and designed the first two Ecco the Dolphin games on Mega Drive / Genesis and produced its spin-off aimed at younger players, Ecco Jr – was asked what the future holds for the Ecco series.
“Me and the entire original team are going to remaster the original Ecco the Dolphin and Tides of Time games,” he replied. “Then we will make a new, third game with contemporary play and GPU sensibilities.”
Annunziata also directed players to “stay tuned” to an Ecco the Dolphin website, which currently shows a countdown clock. The clock is currently counting down to April 25, 2026.
The original Ecco the Dolphin was released in December 1992 and was praised for its detailed graphics and atmospheric soundtrack. It also gained notoriety for its difficulty.
It was followed by a sequel, Ecco: The Tides of Time, which was released on the Mega Drive / Genesis in 1994 with a Mega CD / Sega CD release a few months later.
After the release of spin-off game Ecco Jr the series remained dormant for a while, until Sega and developer Appaloosa Interactive released Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future on Dreamcast (and later PS2). Annunziata had no involvement in this new game, which was a 3D adventure rather than his 2D side-scrolling games.
Back in 2013, Annunziata – who didn’t have the rights to the Ecco the Dolphin IP – attempted to crowdfund a spiritual successor called The Big Blue, but this was ultimately unsuccessful.
Undeterred, he settled a lawsuit with Sega in 2016 which appeared to potentially open the door again for a new Ecco title.
Following the release of his Switch game Space War Arena in 2019, Annunziata said in an interview that he wasn’t giving up, saying: “When I was trying to convince Sega about Ecco the Dolphin it took me years to get them to bite. There are some challenges I need to overcome but eventually, there will be a new Ecco.”
