‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ co-creator arrested for insider trading — again

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‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ creator and former Square Enix employee arrested over insider trading

Former Sonic Team lead programmer Yuji Naka has been arrested again for alleged insider trading.

The “Sonic” co-creator was previously arrested on Nov. 18 for allegedly buying 10,000 shares in “Dragon Quest Tact” mobile game developer Aiming for 2.8 million yen (around $20,000) prior to the announcement of their partnership with Naka’s company at the time, Square Enix.

According to a recent report by Asahi, Naka was arrested on suspicion of investing in ATeam Entertainment, the developers behind “Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier,” based on knowledge of Square Enix’s plans to work with the studio on the mobile title before the information was made public.

Square Enix and ATeam Entertainment announced their joint development of the “Final Fantasy” title in February 2021, just four months before Naka left the company in June.

Naka is suspected of purchasing around 120,000 shares for approximately 144.7 million yen (approximately $1 million).

In light of his arrest, Twitter users online have begun reacting with various Sonic-related memes.

One user posted a clip from “Sonic Adventure 2” of the titular character himself being arrested.

Another user posted a reaction image of Sonic’s trusty sidekick, Tails the Fox.

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Featured Image via YouTube