SEGA AND ROVIO JOIN FORCES IN MOBILE GAMING CROSSOVER EVENT

SEGA :

Espoo, Finland – 14 March 2024 – Today, SEGA® and Rovio™ announced a groundbreaking crossover event that brings together two iconic gaming worlds – Sonic the Hedgehog™ and Angry Birds™. Starting today until March 21st, 2024, players can explore the franchise crossover in five mobile games, including Angry Birds 2™, Angry Birds Dream Blast™, Angry Birds Friends™, Sonic Forces™, and Sonic Dash™ on the App Store and Google Play.
 

PORTALS HAVE OPENED BETWEEN THE SONIC THE HEDGEHOG AND ANGRY BIRDS WORLDS
 
When a mischievous plan to steal the Angry Birds' eggs goes awry, a portal is created that connects the worlds of Sonic the Hedgehog™ and the Angry Birds. To defeat Dr. Eggman, his Badniks, and the mischievous pigs, Red, Sonic, and all of their friends must embark on epic adventures in both worlds, creating unique gaming experiences across all five titles. New playable characters, collectables, limited-time events, and exclusive rewards will be available throughout the week.
 
SEGA & ROVIO TOGETHER
 
This event marks the first brand crossover since Rovio joined the SEGA family last year, which aims to bring together two fanbases that span the globe. Angry Birds and Sonic the Hedgehog have a strong global presence in the mobile landscape, with millions playing their games daily. The crossover presents an opportunity to introduce new players to each franchise while also giving returning players a truly one-of-a-kind event.
 
“Through this crossover with Rovio, we wanted to create something special for fans of both Sonic the Hedgehog and Angry Birds,” explained Mike Evans, Senior Vice President of Mobile and Games as a Service Publishing at Sega of America. “This event provides players with the memorable experience of seeing iconic characters like Sonic and Red playable in the same universe.” ​
 
TRANSFORMING GAMING THROUGH TRANSMEDIA
 
Transmedia is a core strategy for Rovio and a vision shared by the parent company, SEGA. Both companies have iconic intellectual properties with roots in gaming, seeing success in everything from licensed products to feature films. This crossover exemplifies the strength and versatility of Sonic and Angry Birds, extending beyond gaming to offer a valuable experience for players and fans of both IPs.
 
Rovio’s VP of Transmedia, Hanna Valkeapää-Nokkala, comments, “We are lucky to be a part of a company that values brands, being home to some of the most memorable gaming IPs ever. We are excited to unite Sonic and Angry Birds fans in this event and for what the future holds for us as a part of SEGA.”
 
"Throughout the years, Sonic the Hedgehog and Angry Birds have exemplified the expansive reach of video games into diverse media landscapes," expressed Shuji Utsumi, CEO of Sega of America and Co-COO of SEGA CORPORATION. "With our inaugural crossover collaboration with Rovio, we aspire to unite devoted fans from both IPs while welcoming fresh audiences into the fold."
 
The Sonic x Angry Birds crossover event is live March 14-21. See below for details on each participating title.
 
 
EXCITING IN-GAME ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS:
 
Sonic Forces
 
Angry Birds Limited-Time Event:
​Team up with Sonic and Red to stop Dr. Eggman! Collect gold rings and power-ups to add points to your team's score and beat Dr. Eggman to win amazing prizes. Collect character cards to unlock Red or Chuck as playable characters by racing against the new challenger Red, completing missions, and collecting free gifts.
 
Sonic Dash
 
Red and Chuck as Playable Characters:
​Red and Chuck join Sonic Dash as playable characters. Collect legendary character cards to unlock them for free or purchase them in-store. Discover Angry Birds themed collectibles on the track to unlock exciting prizes.
 
Angry Birds 2
 
“Sonic Friends” Hat Event and themed “You’re Too Slow” Adventure:
​Join feathery forces with Sonic and friends in a limited-time hat extravaganza! Collect special Sonic-themed “Sonic Friends” hats for your Angry Birds, harness their power boost, and topple the piggie defenses. Explore a themed "You’re Too Slow" adventure with exclusive levels accessible only to birds wearing the event's corresponding hats. Hats can be acquired from the in-game "Tower of Fortune," and an exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog spell awaits players.
 
Angry Birds Dream Blast
 
Sonic's Flash Race Event:
​Join Sonic's Flash Race event in Angry Birds Dream Blast to dash through 10 saga levels in record time and set the leaderboard on fire! Dreamy rewards await the top contenders.
 
Angry Birds Friends
 
Sonic Tournament:
​Embark on an epic adventure against the treacherous Pigs Army with Sonic and Angry Birds Friends. Crush the nasty pigs, liberate captured animals, and enjoy 30 new Sonic-themed levels with recognizable locales and characters.

 

^{About Sega of America, Inc.
​Sega of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA CORPORATION, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment. Established in 1986, Sega of America publishes innovative interactive entertainment experiences for console, PC, mobile and emerging platforms. In 2020, SEGA ranked #1 among Metacritic's Annual Game Publisher Rankings. Its globally beloved franchises include Sonic the Hedgehog, Like a Dragon™, Virtua Fighter™, Super Monkey Ball™, and Phantasy Star Online™, along with Atlus' Persona™ and Shin Megami Tensei™ series. Since its debut more than three decades ago, Sonic has become a pop culture icon featured in dozens of games, TV series, and movies. Sega of America has offices in Irvine and Burbank, California. Visit} www.sega.com<sup>.


About Rovio
​Rovio Entertainment Corporation is a global mobile-first games company that creates, develops and publishes mobile games, which have been downloaded over 5 billion times. Rovio is best known for the global Angry Birds brand, which started as a popular mobile game in 2009, and has since evolved from games to various entertainment, animations and consumer products in brand licensing. Rovio has produced The Angry Birds Movie (2016), and its sequel, The Angry Birds Movie 2 was released in 2019. The company offers multiple mobile games and has seven game studios – one in Espoo (Finland), Stockholm (Sweden), Copenhagen (Denmark), Barcelona (Spain), Montreal and Toronto (Canada), as well as a subsidiary in Izmir (Turkey) called Ruby Games. Most of the employees are based in Finland where Rovio is headquartered. In 2023, SEGA® Europe Limited acquired more than 90 percent of Rovio’s issued and outstanding shares, making Rovio a subsidiary of SEGA.</sup>