The track is allegedly now in limbo.
The long-running authorized dispute over the possession of Sonic Journey 2’s iconic theme, Stay & Be taught, has come to a halt. Musician Johnny Gioeli, vocalist for the band Crush 40, has confirmed that his lawsuit in opposition to Sega has been dismissed.
Again in December 2024, Gioeli filed go well with in opposition to Sega, alleging that the corporate had overstepped the bounds of his contract through the use of Stay & Be taught in a number of tasks past its unique look in Sonic Journey 2. He claimed sole possession of the monitor, stating that he wrote, recorded, and produced it independently in his personal studio, and that he nonetheless possesses the grasp recording.
Though acknowledging the potential of joint possession with Sega, Gioeli argued that Sega’s stake was restricted to the track’s lyrics. The lawsuit accused Sega of exploiting the monitor throughout greater than 25 video video games, in addition to in tv, movie, and reside performances, all with out his direct approval. The musician sought compensation and authorized readability over the track’s rights.
On September 22, 2025, Gioeli introduced on X that the case had been dismissed. In his assertion, he emphasised that the dismissal was primarily based on timing moderately than possession, leaving the rights to Stay & Be taught unresolved:
“The track stays in limbo,” Gioeli wrote. “Simply two weeks in the past, I used to be contacted by Epic Video games to probably use Stay & Be taught… and the wonderful half is Sega had them name me for the rights to make use of the track. So, there you will have it. Essentially the most epic track stays within the abyss of possession.”
Curiously, this assertion follows current leaks suggesting that Fortnite could function a Sonic the Hedgehog crossover, although neither Epic Video games nor Sega has confirmed this.
Gioeli stays adamant that the track is his creation:
“The track is mine. I wrote it with Jun, I sing it, I created the melody, I recorded my vocals in my studio, and they don’t personal it.”
He closed his message by thanking followers for his or her help:
“Life isn’t all the time honest… however all of us transfer ahead in love and music.”
As of now, Sega and Epic Video games haven’t commented on the matter.
Supply: GamesIndustry.biz
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