The Chaotix Casefiles

Sonic the Hedgehog Presents: The Chaotix Casefiles
Official poster for the podcast
Genre
Country of originUnited States
Japan
LanguageEnglish
Production
DirectionIan Jones-Quartey
Production
  • Chris Hernandez
  • Fred Greenhalgh
  • Molly Barton
  • Ryan Hamln
  • Takashi Iisuka
Length24-30 min
Technical specifications
Audio formatMP3
Publication
Original releaseFebruary 6 –
March 17, 2026
ProviderSega
Related
WebsiteOfficial webpage

Sonic the Hedgehog Presents: The Chaotix Casefiles is a mystery comedy fiction podcast based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video games series and media franchise by Sega. The first audio fiction work in the franchise's history, it is told in a film noir fashion and follows the Chaotix Detective Agency (Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon and Charmy Bee) attempting to solve a series of connected thefts. Many Sonic characters appear in the podcast, voiced by the official voice actors from the video games; some are voiced for the very first time in the franchise's history.

Part of a year-long celebration of the franchise for its 35th anniversary, the entire series was directed by Ian Jones-Quartey, who had previously worked in animation, and written by comic book writer and novelist Dan Jolley, both new to the Sonic franchise; producers include Takashi Iizuka, lead producer of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. The music was written by orchestra director Charlie Rosen of the The 8-Bit Big Band, who also wrote the theme song alongside Rebecca Sugar.

The Chaotix Casefiles premiered on February 6, 2026, and concluded with its ninth episode the following March 17. It received positive reviews, with reviewers praising the franchise's first foray into audio fiction.

Premise

The series is told as a series of flashbacks narrated by Vector the Crocodile, who is currently emprisoned by Doctor Eggman alongside Sonic the Hedgehog, and tells the two the story of how the Chaotix Detective Agency investigated a series of thefts, eventually leading to his current imprisonment.

The Chaotix Detective Agency, consisting of the strong Vector, the sneaky and elusive Espio the Chameleon, and the young and enthusiastic Charmy Bee, is hired by multiple parties to find the artifacts that have been stolen from someone seemingly able to replicate anyone's appearance; strangely, the military agency G.U.N. is also investigating the case, while Rouge the Bat seems to know more than she is willing to share.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest

Production

The series was announced on January 20, 2026, a week before its debut, via a video on the Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel.

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateDuration
10"Chaotix are on the Case!"Ian Jones-QuarteyDan JolleyJanuary 27, 2026 (2026-01-27)10 minutes
Vector recalls how the Chaotix Detective Agency lays idle and unhired when they are visited by Sonic, who leaves after finding a package adressed to the trio. The package contains a Buzz Bomber, one of Eggman's robots, which the trio defeats. Fast-forward to the present, which reveals that Vector and Sonic are now both Eggman's prisoners.
21"The Case of the Two-Faced Thief"Ian Jones-QuarteyDan JolleyJanuary 27, 2026 (2026-01-27)28 minutes
Although Eggman is ready to dispose of his prisoners, he becomes interested when Vector mentions the case that has lead him to this situation, and Vector starts narrating the story to buy the two some time. The story starts with the Chaotix Detective Agency reading a newspaper article about museum robery, which, strangely, is being investigated by the military agency G.U.N., while Chaotix recognize their former member Knuckles in the featured picture. Hired by the museum curator to find the stolen artifact, the trio goes to interrogate Knuckles, who denies any involvement, and are visited by Professor Torii, a friend of Tails who reveals that the artifact is part of an ancient set, which, once assembled, acts as power amplifier of sorts, and that another part of the set was recently stolen; a picture taken indicates that the thief was Rouge.
32"The Case of the High-Stakes Heist"Ian Jones-QuarteyDan JolleyFebruary 6, 2026 (2026-02-06)24 minutes
The trio investigate the second theft, and find a green feather they believe belongs to Jet the Hawk, leading them to interrogate the Babylon Rogues; however, this was a ruse by Rouge to arrange a meeting with Espio, claiming like Knuckles that she had nothing to do with the robbery. Chaotix concludes that whoever is behind the thefts is capable of shapeshifting, and impersonates other individuals.
43"The Case of the Malicious Museum Misdirection"Ian Jones-QuarteyDan JolleyFebruary 10, 2026 (2026-02-10)25 minutes
On Rouge's advice, the trio set a trap for a suspected soon-to-be-attempted theft at the Spiral Hill Musesum with the help of their friends Tangle and Whisper. However, the thief fools them by impersonating Tails and steals the artifact, after which G.U.N. showed up to investigate.
54"Assault on G.U.N. Base X"Brad TurnerVivian LeeFebruary 17, 2026 (2026-02-17)25 minutes
Suspicious of G.U.N.'s repeated involvement, Chaotix infiltrate one of its bases. Vector and Charmy are captured by Commander Tower, but Torii, who is working with G.U.N., convinces Tower to let them go. Meanwhile, Espio received key information from Rouge. On the trio's way out, the Chaotixcopter crashes.
65"The Case of the Catastrophic Copter Crash"Brad TurnerJohn GriffinFebruary 24, 2026 (2026-02-24)26 minutes
Arguing after the crash, Chaotix is rescued by Emerel, who reveals brings them to the nearby house of Cream and Vanilla, who welcome them warm-heartedly until they are ready to continue their investigation.
76"The Case of the Solitary Sage Siege"Jennifer LiaoVivian Lee and John GriffinMarch 3, 2026 (2026-03-03)26 minutes
The Chaotix's investigation leads them to a secret Eggman base. Vector and Charmy encounter Sage who, not considering them threats to Eggman, helps them identify the thief as "Phantom"; although she knows nothing more about them, this is enough for Vector to deduce the culprit. Meanwhile, Espio meets Rouge once again. Eventually, Eggman finds out Chaotix, leading to Victor's capture and subsequent re-telling of his story up to this point.
87"The Case of the Red Specter, Part 1"Jennifer LiaoJavier Grillo-Marxuach and John GriffinMarch 10, 2022 (2022-03-10)26 minutes
Now caught up on Vector's story, Eggman reveals that he has the last artifact, and is awaiting the thief to acquire the part the other has stolen. With Eggman gone, Vector reveals to Sonic that the thief was the mercenary Infinite, having survived his supposed death. The two are reunited with Espio, Charming and Tails right before Infinite attacks Eggman's base and steals his artifact. Infinite reveals that he now wishes to turn the world into a neverending nightmare, and blasts Eggman into the horizon.
98"The Case of the Red Specter, Part 2"Jeff RenfroeJohn GriffinMarch 17, 2022 (2022-03-17)30 minutes
Chaotix, Sonic, Tails, Tangle the Lemur, Whisper and Rouge fight against a superpowered Infinite. Together, they save the day, forcing him to retreat. Torii gives Chaotix an anticlimatic reward with honorary associate degrees from Spagonia University, although she also announces she got the Chaotixcopter repaired. Espio is satisfied that his ninja skills got put to the test, and Vector tells Charmy he does not need to find what his "role" in the team is, as he already perfectly fits in. The trio, satisfied with the return to their status quo, receives a phone call; a new case awaits.

Reception

In a positive review, Peter Pistone of Medium stated "For The Chaotix Casefiles to truly work, they would need to be able to be able to tell their story using audio cues and voice acting to keep the immersion of the world in full focus. [...] The sound design and music are done surprisingly well. While Vector's narration helps with a lot of verbal storytelling, the sound effects help enhance the surroundings and actions the characters are making to the listeners at all times. It's very easy to follow along with what's being described during the podcast, as the narration and usage of sound helps create a very vivid picture in one’s mind throughout each episode." They only criticized the action-heavy scenes, noting that "either the action is moving a bit too fast for the listener to fully process the scenery and picture it in their head, or the characters will explain what's going on to the point where the dialogue comes off as unnatural and awkward."

References

  1. ↑ "Vector the Crocodile Voices". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Espio the Chameleon Voices". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  3. ↑ @ninjacoachz (March 18, 2016). "@matthewmercer Are you voicing Espio in Mario & Sonic Rio 2016 Olympics?" (Tweet). Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via Twitter.
    Matthew Mercer [@matthewmercer] (March 18, 2016). "@ninjacoachz Good ear! :)" (Tweet). Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ "Charmy Bee Voices". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Sonic Boom". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  6. ↑ "English Video Game Actors Join Disney's Wreck-It Ralph Cast". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2018-08-09. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  7. ↑ Tuff, Adam (28 January 2021). "Roger Craig Smith Hints Departure from Sonic Voice Acting Role". The Sonic Stadium. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  8. ↑ Roger Craig Smith [@RogerCraigSmith] (28 January 2021). "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. 🦔" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog [@sonic_hedgehog] (28 January 2021). "For over 10 years, Roger Craig Smith has been an integral part of the SEGA family. He brought the voice of Sonic to life, and we are forever grateful for his never-ending enthusiasm in helping the community and spreading joy. Thank you, Roger, for all you've done for Sonic" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ↑ "Dr. Eggman Voices (Sonic the Hedgehog)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "Rouge the Bat Voices". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Chris Hernandez on Twitter". Retrieved March 27, 2024. Chris Hernandez: Introducing Professor Victoria! It was an absolute pleasure working with @CrystalLeeVO to bring her to life! Cheers to the MYSTERY OF HISTORY!
  13. ↑ Bevan, Rhiannon (2023-07-07). ""Majority" Of Sonic Comic Writers Think Tangle And Whisper Are Gay". The Gamer. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
  14. ↑ Tolentino, Josh (November 3, 2022). "Sega Talks About Sage in Sonic Frontiers". Siliconera. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Knuckles the Echidna Voices (Sonic the Hedgehog)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  16. ↑ "SEGA Blog - Out of the Mouths of Hedgehogs". blogs.sega.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06.
  17. ↑ "Michael Yurchak – voiceover". Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Cream the Rabbit Voice". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved October 10, 2026.
  19. ↑ Mateo, Alex (January 20, 2026). "Sonic the Hedgehog Franchise Gets New Chaotix Audio Drama". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  20. ↑ Marnell, Blair (January 22, 2026). "Sonic The Hedgehog Is Getting Scripted Noir Podcast Starring The Chaotix". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  21. 1 2 Pistone, Peter (March 30, 2026). "'The Chaotix Casefiles' is Surprisingly Good". Medium. Retrieved October 10, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)