The head of Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka, recently commented in an interview with the outlet VGC that you can’t have the beloved Chao Garden without a Sonic Adventure.
More specifically, the “Chao Garden is a piece… it’s part of the whole Sonic Adventure series of games.” Iizuka went on to explain that the Chao Garden is not a standalone title that can’t be separated into its dedicated project. So, it appears that if fans want to experience a Chao Garden, they should look to Sonic Adventure 3 whenever that decides to happen.
“It’s not a standalone game, it’s integrated into the whole Adventure series gameplay, so we can’t just break it off and make it a thing. And so it’s like, alright, well, if you’re asking for Chao Garden and Adventure 3, then that’s pretty much asking for Adventure 3.
I think at some time I’d like to say ‘hey, yeah, we’re making Adventure 3’, but we don’t have plans for that yet. It’s just one of those things that if, if the stars align and it can all happen, then yeah, we’d love to make it.”
For those unaware of the Chao Garden, it’s essentially an optional simulation activity in both Sonic Adventure titles that had players raise their Chao however they liked, alongside several minigames for them. It’s a rather intricate and involved series of processes with plenty of moving parts and background mechanics.
Countless fans have long requested that it be returned, even as a mobile game. However, it appears that won’t happen, and fans may not be too happy with this answer. Still, it would make the potential arrival of Sonic Adventure 3 even more exciting for select fans.
The Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film will premiere on December 20, 2024.