In news that is sure to upset some players and fans, Sega will be delisting several Sonic the Hedgehog games, namely those that will be included in the upcoming Sonic Origins collection. Starting May 20, the following Sonic the Hedgehog games will no longer be purchaseable digitally:

• Sonic the Hedgehog 1
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Sonic 3 & Knuckles
• Sonic CD

Here’s the full announcement from Sega via press release:

SEGA announced today that the company will delist the digital versions of the stand-alone titles that will be featured in the upcoming game, Sonic Origins on May 20, 2022.

This will include Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD. There are a couple of exceptions – Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2 will remain available via SEGA AGES on the Nintendo Switch and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will still be playable via Sega Genesis on Nintendo Switch Online +.

It’s not hard to see why Sega will do such a thing as delist some of these classic titles. Looking back to the release of the GTA The Trilogy The Definitive Edition, Rockstar also delisted the three games included in the collection (GTA 3, GTA San Andreas, and GTA Vice City) so that players can only purchase the collection. It has not gone over well with the community, and Rockstar has since backpedaled on the move, apologizing to the community. It will be interesting to see if this move from Sega will be met with the same backlash as well.

In case you missed it, check out the official announcement for Sonic Origins here, also detailing the various features for the game.