My immediate answer - Sonic fans.
I don’t really know what Sega and the Sonic Team can do anymore to make these fans happy. They’ve revisited the classic formula a few times, they tried going modern routes, they tried 2-D sprites in some entries, they try going full 3D and whatever. Nothing ever seems to be enough and that’s even when they’ve tried listening to the fanbase a few times.
Nothing seems to matter, regardless. The fans will find something to be upset about with Sonic. Anything.
Just imagine if you ordered a jack and coke, and you had no way of knowing if they’re actually going to give you watered-down diet coke and the mildest single malt scotch they could find, or cherry coke and a really intense rye, or anything in between. And at every new place, it’s just a gamble what you’ll get.
That’s kinda what its like.