Iconic Sonic the Hedgehog Voice Actor Roger Craig Smith Departs Role

Sonic the Hedgehog has had several voice actors through his nearly 30-years of existence, but it's doubtful you'd find a voice actor as iconic to the role as Roger Craig Smith, who's been voicing the blue blur for the past 10 years. Starting in the often forgotten Kinect-exclusive Sonic Free Riders, Mr. Smith has gone on to voice Sonic in over a dozen sonic titles since, and even voiced him in 104 episodes of the Sonic Boom series, which, it should be stated, were vastly superior to the video game they were based on.

However, all good things must come to an end, and Roger Craig Smith announced on Twitter that he was wrapping up his decade-long run, pun very much intended.
 

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.

Sega, too, commented on his departure, saying to Kotaku:
 

Roger Craig Smith’s portrayal of Sonic the Hedgehog is one that fans are sure to remember for generations to come. He brought the character to life in a truly authentic way, with Sonic’s signature attitude and flair, and we’ll always be thankful to Roger for his contribution to the franchise.

You'll note that both statements are fairly short, and don't include why he's leaving his role. It's possible he's tired of voicing Sonic and is looking for new zones, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more stable gig than a character like Sonic, and voice actors generally enjoy that kind of work. It's more likely that Sega is the one behind the decision, and some fans speculate he's leaving to make room for Ben Schwartz, the actor who played Sonic in the recent live-action movie. Ben hasn't commented on that possibility, but given how Sonic has had over a dozen voice actors over the years, it's not as if there aren't plenty of other people who could slip into those oversized red shoes.

I'm sure we won't have to wait long to find out.