With only 2,300 hours to go until a full Ecco the Dolphin reveal, new details emerge about the forthcoming reboot

Plans for a new Ecco the Dolphin game were quietly revealed last May, in addition to remasters of the 1992 original and its sequel Tides of Time. At the time a website was launched bearing a 8,500 hour countdown. Andy Chalk did the maths way back then, and figured out that the countdown would end some time in April 2026.

Which is still nearly four months away. Nevertheless, here we are in January 2026 with a bit more info on these forthcoming Ecco games. It’s now confirmed that new California-based studio A&R Atelier is developing the new game, with original Ecco producer Ed Annunziata on board as chief creative officer.

In a press release issued today A&R Atelier confirmed there are “several new Ecco the Dolphin products and games” in development, though whether these include the already-confirmed remasters and a new game, or something more, isn’t specified. I’ve reached out to A&R Atelier for more specific details, though I assume they’re keeping it under their hats for the big April reveal. I’ll update if I hear back.

In the press release Annunziata said that a new Ecco game “has been years in the making”. It’s unclear how big A&R Atelier studios is or who else might be working on the projects: the website is just a splash page with the company’s logo. The newly fleshed-out Ecco the Dolphin website has a touch more info.

“The team behind Ecco the Dolphin includes original creators from the classic games, alongside talented new team members who share a deep love and respect for this iconic franchise,” the site reads. “Together, we’re dedicated to expanding the Ecco the Dolphin IP to the level it has always deserved.”

If the ’90s feels like ancient history to you, perhaps you don’t know that Ecco the Dolphin was a huge deal when it launched for Sega Genesis in 1992. It quickly became a bestseller on the back of extensive marketing—I still remember the TV advertisements—though if you were one of the kids lucky enough to have played it, you would have been hit with one of most pitilessly difficult games of the era.