Gameplay leaks for two SEGA classics in development

During the most recent celebration of The Game Awards, SEGA announced in a short video that they are working on new releases for some of their most iconic franchises, including Shinobi, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Jet Set Radio, and Crazy Taxi, among others. Just a few days ago, Midori, the creator of the well-known account famous for leaking information about Atlus and SEGA, made headlines again. They posted videos on Twitter showcasing gameplay from two of these games currently in development. Specifically, these appear to be Shinobi and Crazy Taxi, and judging by the graphics compared to SEGA’s official announcement, all indications suggest that these leaks are real.

Multiplayer Gameplay from the Upcoming Crazy Taxi Game Leaked

The first post shared by Midori is a gameplay video of the multiplayer mode for Crazy Taxi. According to the source, this sequence was recorded at some point in 2022. It seems to show a match with the game still in development, and as expected, some graphical details are not yet fully polished. Nevertheless, the similarities with SEGA’s original announcement video are more than evident, which confirms this is indeed the game in question. According to the leak, the title is expected to be available sometime in 2027 for all modern platforms, including the successor to the Nintendo Switch.

【Crazy Taxi】
【Development Footage】

Early development footage of the Crazy Taxi reboot originally recorded in 2022. pic.twitter.com/cUKAGSdtup
— Ryan from the Bronx (@ryanfrombronx) September 7, 2024

Opening Cinematic and Gameplay from the Upcoming Shinobi Game Leaked

The second post shows a preliminary version of the game’s opening cinematic, along with a few seconds of gameplay from what appears to be the first level. Once again, the visuals match perfectly with what SEGA has shown officially.

【Shinobi】
【Early Gameplay Footage】

An early version of the opening movie and gameplay sequences for the upcoming Shinobi title currently in development. pic.twitter.com/SDRJIjbO0d
— Ryan from the Bronx (@ryanfrombronx) September 7, 2024

Who Is Developing the Next Shinobi Game?

While it has not been announced whether the games are being developed internally by SEGA or by external developers, speculation has been rife from the beginning that the next Shinobi game is being developed by LizardCube. This is primarily because the art style presented in the video aligns with that used by the independent studio in their previous titles Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and Streets of Rage 4. Both of these games are entries in franchises originally created by SEGA (later acquired by Dotemu), which raises anticipation for another collaboration.

Additionally, LizardCube’s official website lists their past games and a third unannounced title. On the news section of the website, the most recent entry is a Twitter post where they announce that “some really exciting things are coming to The Game Awards.” Given all this, it strongly suggests that LizardCube is indeed the studio developing the next Shinobi game.