Morio Kishimoto, director of the main-line Sonic series since Colors, was recently asked about the boost mechanic, and he is at least considering… well, not having it at some point.
In reply to a tweet asking what changes he might make to the boost style of gameplay following Sonic Frontiers, Kishimoto describes that he had considered whether or not to include the mechanic in Sonic Frontiers at all and is still interested in making a game without it.
When I started working on this game, I thought a lot about whether it would work or not, and decided to hire Boost. I’m still thinking of trying a Sonic game that doesn’t use boosts in my next game. My favorite giant bosses are the first and second ones.
Via Google Translate
While Kishimoto isn’t saying anything definitive about the future of the series’ mechanics, he previously indicated that he’s paying attention to Frontiers’ player and critic reactions and sees Frontiers as the start of a new generation of the franchise. He even responded to a previous tweet highlighting classic-style momentum as something to consider in the “open zone” structure.
The series first introduced the “boost” mechanic as we know it today in 2005’s Sonic Rush, and while boosting has defined the series since, Kishimoto himself took a brief detour from it in 2013’s Sonic Lost World. Sonic Frontiers’ own boost mechanic was significantly updated to fit with the game’s focus on open space traversal and dedicated combat mechanics.
Source: GoNintendo