Update: Sonic the Hedgehog’s official Twitter account (the most official of official sources) has confirmed Roger Craig Smith’s departure in a Tweet, wishing him the best for the future.
Even the fastest thing alive has to know when to slow down now and again. Now it seems like that time has come for Roger Craig Smith, who, after over 10 years of voicing the famous Sonic the Hedgehog, has decided that it’s the right moment to step back from voicing the blue blur.
In a post on Twitter, he didn’t specifically mention Sonic by name, but all the clues are there clear as day, even going so far as to include a hedgehog emoji, blue hearts, and a reference to the “zones” that Sonic runs and jumps through in his long-spanning gaming career.
Welp, 10 years was an amazing run.
Onward to new zones!Much love to the fans who've been so kind.💙
It's been an honor.
🦔 pic.twitter.com/7Rn9PVA92m— Roger Craig Smith (@RogerCraigSmith) January 28, 2021
Smith made his debut as Sonic’s voice all the way back in 2010 in the critically-panned Sonic Free Riders. At least he followed it up with the very well-regarded Sonic Colors. He succeeded the popular Jason Griffith, who had spent seven years prior following on from Ryan Drummond, the inaugural voice of Sonic since Sonic Adventure in 1998. Smith hangs Sonic’s iconic red shoes up as the blue hedgehog’s longest-running voice, after 10 years of quips, attitude, and sass befitting of one of gaming’s most iconic characters.
Unfortunately for Smith, the series has had its fair share of ups and downs during his involvement, reaching its arguable peak with Sonic Mania, a game where Sonic doesn’t speak. His last entry in the series was the forgettably-average Sonic Forces, although his performance isn’t to blame for that game’s reputation. He frequently spoke with Ben Schwartz about the latter’s involvement in the recent Sonic the Hedgehog movie, a movie that perhaps exceeded expectations, especially when looking back on that horrifying first trailer.