A bunch of new details about Sonic Frontiers have been revealed, thanks to the recent release of Sonic Origins. A cyberspace level, minibosses, a new faction, and even fishing with Big the Cat have been revealed in a Sonic Origins datamine, giving us a good idea of what to expect from Frontiers. This information comes from files left behind in Sonic Origins, confirming that Frontiers will feature both new and returning characters. Sages and Kodama are mentioned in the game's files as a new NPC type, with Big (and presumably Froggy) returning after a long absence from the mainline games.These discoveries have been shared by Twitter user @ahremic, who anticipated finding these files in Sonic Origins when it was suspected that the compilation game is using the same engine as Frontiers. Browsing through the unearthed files, there's a lot to excite older fans of the series here. The biggest is perhaps the return of Big the Cat and his fishing minigame, which haven't appeared in the series since his Sonic Adventure debut. FishCaught, NewFishFirstLooked, and FishingBigFirstTalked are among the files in question, suggesting that Big will walk Sonic through the fishing mechanics. There are also mentions of a "Fishing Portal", meaning it may not take place in the overworld, and will instead be a separate level.
Other files of interest include CyberSpaceNoise and CyberHologram. This points to a stage being set in cyberspace - a far cry from the levels we've been shown so far. It seems that the greenery of the Open Zone will not restrict the level design of Frontiers.
We also have evidence of a new faction, with files such as KodamaElderTalked, KodamaHermitTalked, and KodamaHermitSlept. The Kodama have not appeared in the franchise before, so whatever they are remains a mystery
Other than that, there's further evidence of things we already suspected, such as Amy and Tails becoming lost and needing Sonic's help. AmyStatus and TailsStatus are included in the datamine, although it's not clear what this "status" refers to. It could, however, be tied to VoiceDiaryCaught, as an early trailer showed Sonic following Amy's voice, presumably to find her and Tails.
We'll find out for sure what this all means later this year, when Sonic Frontiers launches across all platforms. But for now, Sonic Origins is out, keeping you busy with four retro Sonic games. And a bunch of Frontiers game files, apparently.