A&R Atelier has announced that Ecco the Dolphin is officially back in development, with several new Ecco projects underway, as suggested when the trademark was revived in 2025. Details are thin for now, but updates will appear on a new official website and Discord channel.
That’s the news. The claim wrapped around it is this: “The world needs Ecco the Dolphin.”
Really?
Ecco has always had a strange reputation. People talk about thre SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis game with admiration — moody, atmospheric, different — but it was also hard work to play. The controls were awkward, progression was confusing, and plenty of players respected what it was trying to do more than they actually enjoyed doing it. That matters if you’re reviving a series. Nostalgia only gets you so far.
Environmentalism? No, not really
Then there’s the environmental angle. Ecco leaned hard into oceans under threat and humanity as the problem. Noble enough, but even in the ’90s it felt a bit performative. The game was pressed into plastic, boxed in printed packaging, shipped around the world on fuel, and powered by electricity. It sold environmental concern while being completely dependent on the same systems it quietly criticised.
That’s not activism, is it? I don’t think it is — I think it’s branding.
Today, the idea that Ecco offers serious educational value feels even weaker. If you want to see what pollution is doing to the oceans, you don’t need a dolphin avatar — you just need an internet connection. Real footage, real data, real consequences, updated constantly. Compared to that, Ecco’s message feels merely symbolic of an age passed, rather than useful.
Retreading the same marketing fluff
Calling Ecco “a bridge between worlds” has a poetic ring to it, but it also sounds like marketing copy designed to stir nostalgia. There’s nothing wrong with bringing Ecco back. Old series return all the time, and some of them turn out great. But framing this as something the world needs feels overcooked.
What the world needs is action, policy, and education that actually changes things.
What it doesn’t need is guilt-by-mascot wrapped around a product made, shipped, and powered just like everything else.
If A&R Atelier makes a genuinely good game — one that fixes the old frustrations and stands on its own — then fine. Ecco deserves another shot on those terms.
But let’s drop the grand statements.
Ecco coming back is interesting, and it might even be good.
But the world doesn’t need him — and saying it does sounds more like marketing than truth. But if you’re interested, you’ll find updates about Ecco the Dolphin at EccoTheDolphin.com.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
