Rumors circulated that Sonic 2 would be a CD-ROM game, and the delay of the Mega CD's release in the United States was speculated to coincide with Sonic 2's launch.

Early internet users speculated about a hypothetical Sonic the Hedgehog sequel, with some predicting features like multiple paths and a two-player mode.

An early internet user disagreed with Sonic 2 being a CD-ROM game, believing CD-ROMs were novelty items that the general public lacked money or interest for, and that Sega would alienate customers by releasing it on that format.