Sonic Dash, Sonic the Hedgehog's first endless runner mobile game, has hit 500 million downloads worldwide, Sega of America announced Thursday. That's half a billion downloads since Hardlight Studios, a subsidiary of Sega of Europe, released the game onto Android and iOS devices in 2013.
This major milestone comes as fans continue to celebrate Sonic's 30th anniversary, and Hardlight said that it'll be adding new content to the game for years to come.
Hardlight Studio director Neall Jones said the mobile game dev team, who also created Sonic Forces: Speed Runners, is highly grateful for the loyalty of Sonic fans driving millions of new downloads on a monthly basis, which they attribute to the frequent addition of new content such as customizable skins, like the pirate versions of Sonic and Shadow — whom I personally call Sonic Turner and Jack Shadow — themed events based on the expanding Sonic universe, and new characters from either the Sonic games, other Sega IP, or even Danimals.
"We continue to be amazed at Sonic Dash’s loyal fans and how the game is still driving millions of new downloads every month," Jones said. "A massive thank you to all Sonic Dash fans. We look forward to continuing to provide you with new and innovative in-game events built around the ever-expanding Sonic universe, for years to come."
Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka said Sonic Dash surpassing 500 million is proof of Sonic the Hedgehog's endurance as a brand and popular video game icon, especially during the Blue Blur's milestone 30th anniversary.
"Achieving over 500 million downloads is a huge testament to the endurance of the Sonic brand and the truly fun, timeless gameplay of Sonic Dash," Iizuka said. "We appreciate our loyal fans as well as our partnership with both Apple and Google for their enduring support in showcasing Sonic Dash in the App Stores. This milestone could not have been achieved at a better time!”
Last year, Sonic Dash made more money than the last five Sonic titles, including its sequel Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom, Sonic Forces, and even the short-lived Sonic Runners.
Sonic Dash will host an in-game event to celebrate the 500 million download milestone on September 17.