Sonic-knuckles-wsonic3.bin [2027]

Breaking down the filename provides the first layer of understanding:

As Alex played through the modified game, he discovered that the hack had unlocked a previously unknown world, dubbed "Eclipse Zone." This mysterious realm was filled with mind-bending puzzles, treacherous terrain, and unexpected cameos from other Sega characters. sonic-knuckles-wsonic3.bin

The solution was . A hacker or preservationist would: Breaking down the filename provides the first layer