Gaming

‘Ecco the Dolphin’ Trademarks Renewed as Xbox Developer Direct Teases ‘Long Running Japanese Franchise’ as Its Secret Reveal… Could It Be Happening, Ecco Bros?

The Xbox Developer Direct is right around the corner, and ‘Ecco The Dolphin’ got a renewed trademark… could it finally be happening?

‘Ecco the Dolphin’ Trademarks Renewed as Xbox Developer Direct Teases ‘Long Running Japanese Franchise’ as Its Secret Reveal… Could It Be Happening, Ecco Bros
Screenshot: Acclaim Entertainment

Man, the hopium is tasting an awful lot like saltwater today, isn’t it? While I know that the chances of this happening are slim to none, it seems ironic that shortly after Windows Central teased information about the fourth announcement at the upcoming Xbox Developer Direct, news about the renewal of the Ecco the Dolphin trademark happened. Does this confirm Ecco the Dolphin news at the Direct? No, but we can only hope and dream that it happens.

The Xbox Series X in it's original black colorway ecco
Screenshot: Microsoft/Waypoint

Yes, I know I’m Huffing ‘Ecco the Dolphin’ Copium, But Just Let Me Dream, Please

Originally reported by Windows Central, there are plenty of things to be excited about when it comes to the Xbox Developer Direct. As quoted directly from the article itself:

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“There’s also a mysterious fourth game, and I won’t spoil what it is, but our sources indicate that it is a new entry in a legendary Japanese IP which has decades of history, and should make a lot of fans happy.”

But, to further muddy the waters, the public trademark for Ecco and Ecco the Dolphin officially went live today. Sure, they were renewed on December 27, 2024. But, that doesn’t mean anything when we have dreams, now does it? Sure, it’s more likely that we’ll see some Resident Evil or maybe even Dino Crisis news at the Developer Direct, but wouldn’t it be something to see a brand new Ecco the Dolphin game?

So, while it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which “long-running Japanese franchise” will show up at the Xbox Developer Direct? We’ll only need to wait for a few more days to officially find out. After a pretty stellar Game Awards showing, it seems like nothing is off of the table anymore. I mean, technically, Viewtiful Joe has decades of history, and CLOVERS is a new studio. The hype just keeps building up for this showcase, in what could be Xbox’s best showing in years.

Wouldn’t it be sick to finally get some Kingdom Hearts 4 news, though? Maybe not if you’re Dwayne, but everyone else will likely be stoked. Speculation is about to be crazy for the next 10 days or so, isn’t it? We can all dream.