Sonic Rumble debuts on Steam and mobile amid monetization backlash

Sonic Rumble, a new 32-player party battle royale from Sega in collaboration with Rovio, launched this week on PC via Steam and on iOS and Android, but has drawn criticism from players over its monetization and is posting modest player numbers on Steam. The game peaked at 5,465 concurrent players on Steam and had about 2,624 users actively playing at the time of reporting, figures that industry observers say are low compared with several recent Sonic entries on the platform.

Sonic Rumble casts players as toy versions of franchise characters including Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow and Dr. Eggman as they race through Dr. Eggman’s Toy World across stages such as Green Hill Zone and Sky Sanctuary. Sega and Rovio have highlighted fast-paced, chaotic multiplayer matches, character customization through skins and emotes, and a soundtrack that nods to classic series themes. Early access testing in regions including the Philippines preceded the wider release.

Reception on Steam has been mixed. The title holds a 44 percent approval rating from roughly 1,418 user reviews, with many complaints centered on the game’s monetization. Players have cited high-priced cosmetic items, a...