Ian Flynn says that Sega provided the "story, backstory, plot beats, usable characters, and so on" for Sonic Frontiers, confirming rumours that he didn't write the game's story.
One of the biggest selling points behind Sonic Frontiers is the fact that Ian Flynn, known for his work writing Sonic stories for IDW, was revealed to be working on the game in some capacity. Although it was thought at first that he was writing the story, a recent rumour suggested that wasn't the case, something that was just confirmed by Flynn himself in a recent interview.
In a recent interview with IGN, Flynn was asked about his role in Sonic Frontiers and what it's been like to be involved with a mainline entry in the series for the first time. Flynn responds by noting how different of an experience it was for him to work on Frontiers with the story decided for him, as compared to his work on the comics where he can pitch things himself.
Flynn said, "It’s been a very different experience to be sure. With the other tie-in media, I’m the one to pitch the story, the characters, the themes, etc. With Sonic Frontiers, SEGA provided the story, backstory, plot beats, usable characters, and so on. So it was a very different approach to telling a Sonic story than what I’m used to."
Although it's clearly a different experience for Flynn than what he's used to, he doesn't seem put off by it, saying, "All that aside, it was a dream come true to work on a major Sonic title like this, and an incredible learning experience. I hope everyone enjoys what I was able to bring to the table."
Flynn also gave a bit more detail about Frontier's overall vibe, "Melancholy is a good word for the story overall. Sonic’s indomitable spirit carries him throughout the adventure, and it’s what allows him to help each of his friends as they tackle their own personal challenges... Sonic’s 'never say die' attitude is certainly put to the test."