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

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

Sega Revives the Ecco IP With Trademark

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 been made 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 continued with four installments until 2000. A planned sequel to Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, tentatively titled Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe, was unfortunately scrapped following the decline and eventual cancellation of the Sega Dreamcast.

While Sega remains a prominent developer and publisher, Appaloosa Interactive is now 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 further concrete details regarding the future of Ecco the Dolphin have emerged. However, the trademark filings suggest it may soon join Sega's extensive list of projects currently in development. 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, alongside new IPs such as the enigmatic Project Century and a new "RPG-like" Virtua Fighter title. We'll be sure to keep you updated as more information becomes available.