In January 2001, Sega departed the console business to be a software publisher. Sonic Adventure 2 was ported to the Nintendo GameCube as Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on December 20, 2001.[47] Battle has more detailed textures and additional geometry,[47] and adds multiplayer options including new abilities, upgrades, and exclusive characters.[48] Big the Cat is replaced by a Dark Chao in multiplayer mode.[49] Battle also upgrades much of the Chao system, with a Chao's stats viewable within the game,[50] and the option to transfer Chao from Sonic Adventure 2 Battle to the Tiny Chao Garden in Sonic Advance, Sonic Advance 2, and Sonic Pinball Party with the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable. If a Game Boy Advance is connected without a game, a version of the Tiny Chao Garden can be copied temporarily into the Game Boy Advance memory. This version also introduces the Chao Karate feature.[51]
In Europe, Battle was marketed and distributed by Infogrames, following a deal to distribute Sega's games on the GameCube and GBA.