Yuji Naka, Creator Of 'Sonic the Hedgehog,' Arrested For Insider Trading

That's no good.

Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka has been arrested for insider trading. He is alleged to have purchased stock in the gaming company Aiming in early 2020 based on inside information that the company would be developing the Dragon Quest mobile game, Dragon Quest Tact.

Aiming's contract with Square Enix, with whom Naka was working with on Balan Wonderworld, was not public knowledge at the time.

Yuji Naka, the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, arrested for insider trading – FNN

— BNO News (@BNONews) November 18, 2022

According to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, Naka purchased the equivalent of $20,000 worth of shares in Aiming in late January 2020. The game was announced a month later, causing Aiming's stock to rise, but it is unclear if Naka sold the shares to make a profit after the game's announcement and release.

Naka joins two other Square Enix employees who have also been arrested for insider trading regarding Aiming and Dragon Quest Tact.

The news was a head-spinner for many Sonic fans who have also been dealing with the release of Sonic Frontiers, the mixed reception to the game, warring with Pokémon fans and contending with the rumored imminent death of Twitter.

sonic gets one good 3D game after a long time and yuji naka gets arrested and twitter shuts down

— gambito. (@GambitoSonic) November 18, 2022

Twitter is dying, Sonic fans arguing with Pokémon fans and Yuji Naka got arrested. What even is today?

— Kevstermania (@TheKevstermania) November 18, 2022

How did we go from Sonic Prime hype, to Twitter possibly dying, to Yuji Naka getting arrested in the span of a few hours?!

— KC (@Tenkaizer) November 18, 2022

It's unclear what punishment Naka will face should he be convicted of insider trading. Whatever the case may be, it seems the internet made memes about the wrong character going to jail for white-collar crimes.