Gameplay
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is a kart racing game, similar to its predecessor, Team Sonic Racing , [3] although CrossWorlds does not retain that game's cooperative team racing mechanic. [4] Players race against up to 11 opponents in three-lap races around a track, similar to other games in the genre such as the Mario Kart series. [4] Like previous Sonic racing games, a strong emphasis is placed on drifting to maneuver around tight turns and build up additional speed. [5] Players can also earn speed boosts by performing consecutive mid-air tricks after jumping off ramps. [6] Rings are scattered around the track, which players can gather to increase their maximum speed; players will lose rings when they make contact with walls, obstacles, or other racers. [7] Item capsules can also be obtained, which can be used to increase the player's speed or attack other opponents. [7]
Players can choose between standard race cars, which will turn to boats and planes at different points in the race similar to Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed , or Extreme Gear hoverboards, which were previously featured in the Sonic Riders sub-series. [8] [9] Unlike previous Sonic racing games, characters are not restricted to a single vehicle and have their own stats, which affect the performance of vehicles. [4] [10] Cars fall into one of four different classes based on their most prominent stat: Speed, Acceleration, Power, or Handling. [4] A fifth type, Boost, is utilized exclusively by Extreme Gear. [5] A total of 45 different vehicles can be unlocked, [11] with players also able to combine parts from the vehicles they have unlocked to create custom vehicles. [4] By playing the game, players can earn "Donpa Tickets", which can be exchanged for additional vehicle customization items like paint and decals. [12] Before starting a race, players can choose from over 70 gadgets to equip that will provide them passive advantages, such as drawing in distant rings or prioritizing specific items; up to six gadget slots can be unlocked, with some gadgets requiring multiple slots to be equipped. [4] [13] [2]
The game is set to feature 24 different race tracks. [14] After the first lap of each race, the leading racer will be able to choose between two different "Travel Rings", large ring shaped portals that appear in the middle of the track; selecting a Travel Ring will send the racers through it to the corresponding "CrossWorld", one of 15 [14] separate locations in which the second lap of the race takes place before reverting to the original track for the final lap. [3] While in the CrossWorld, random "frenzy" modifiers will be activated, causing additional effects such as adding moving boost gates to the course. [4] Elements of the track layout will also change during the final lap, opening new paths and shortcuts. [4] Additional tracks and vehicles will be available as downloadable content (DLC). [15]
Players will be able to choose between four different speed options, which also act as the race's difficulty setting. [16] In Grand Prix mode, the player must complete four sequential races, consisting of three standard races and a final race that features one lap each from the preceding tracks, while attempting to earn the highest placement score possible. [5] [17] The player will also be designated a rival character during Grand Prix, who will exhibit higher difficulty behavior and specifically target the player during each race. [18] Rival characters also have special interactions with the player character, and defeating a rival in Grand Prix will grant additional rewards. [5] A Time Attack mode allows players to play each track and record their best lap times. [11] A third mode, Race Park, features "party"-based gameplay where teams of players earn points by completing specific challenges, such as performing the most tricks or reaching the highest speed. [11] [19] The game supports local multiplayer, as well as cross-platform online multiplayer for up to 12 players. [11] [1]
Characters
Sega has stated that CrossWorlds will feature the largest roster of playable characters in a Sonic racing game to date, with the final roster including downloadable content set to exceed 50 characters. [20] [21] The game will launch with 24 playable characters, one of which is unlockable. [14] [22] [23] [18] Additional characters from other Sega properties are scheduled to be added via free monthly updates, [1] [24] [25] while characters from external properties will be available as part of a season pass. [15] [24] Three characters originating from the animated series Sonic Prime are included as part of the game's Digital Deluxe Edition, which also includes the season pass, while Sonic the Werehog from Sonic Unleashed is available as a pre-order incentive. [26] [15]
Guest characters are labeled in bold.
Development
Sonic Team began developing Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds in 2022, [30] with the developers behind the Initial D series of arcade racing games contributing to the project. [27] [31] Sonic Team chose to incorporate both transforming vehicles and Extreme Gear as a way of appealing to fans of previous Sonic racing games, treating CrossWorlds as a culmination of all the games to date. [9] The Travel Ring concept was inspired by the use of rings as portals in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series, as well as producer Ryuichi Taki's childhood memories of driving through long tunnels and emerging in very different environments. [32] The team's experience with developing arcade racing games inspired them to make each lap of the race unique to maintain excitement and interest. [32] Taki noted that the Extreme Gear was difficult to implement, as it necessitated creating an entirely new gameplay system to make it work. [32] The team worked to refine the core racing gameplay and course design before adding any items to the game, removing those which they felt made the game too unbalanced. [33]
Sonic series producer Takashi Iizuka stated that while CrossWorlds was designed as a Sonic racing game first and foremost, fan disappointment at the lack of crossover content in Team Sonic Racing compared to previous entries led them to include more guest characters as DLC. [24] Iizuka also stated that since the Sonic franchise has traditionally seen the most success in western markets, the team instead chose guest characters for downloadable content that would draw interest from Japanese players. [30] The downloadable characters do not have voice acting, due to the lengthy approval process required when dealing with external licensors. [34]
Takahiro Kai composed the game's main theme, "Cross the Worlds", which features vocals by James Bourne of Busted. [35] Other contributing musicians include Jun Senoue, Tomoya Ohtani, Tee Lopes, Giga, Camellia, TORIENA, Nanobii, Zardonic, Laur, RIOT, and Aiobahn. [36] [37] A set of five songs by Vocaloid musicians Kairiki Bear, cosMo@Bousou-P, Yunosuke, Ponchi♪, and Camellia will also be featured in the game, with accompanying art and music videos also released as part of a "Project ONSAKU" collaboration between Sonic and Hatsune Miku. [38]
Release
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds was initially announced with a teaser trailer at the Game Awards 2024. [39] The first gameplay trailer was shown during Sony Interactive Entertainment's State of Play on February 12, 2025, [40] [41] and a closed beta test for the PlayStation 5 version was held from February 21 to 23. [42] [43] This was followed by an open beta test for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Windows between August 29 and September 1. [44]
In June 2025, leaked concept art and footage from an early build of the game revealed the existence of multiple guest characters from non-Sega franchises planned as downloadable content. [45] The inclusion of guests was subsequently confirmed at Summer Game Fest a few days later on June 6, along with the game's final release date of September 25, 2025. [1] Iizuka expressed disappointment in the leaks, feeling it had ruined the excitement and surprise for fans. [24] A Nintendo Switch 2 version was also announced, scheduled for digital release later in 2025, with a paid upgrade available for owners of the Nintendo Switch version that will carry over their progress. [2] [46] A physical Nintendo Switch 2 release will follow in early 2026. [2]
In addition to the standard edition of the game, a Digital Deluxe Edition includes three characters from Sonic Prime , and will provide three days of early access on all non-Nintendo platforms. [15] The Digital Deluxe Edition also includes the downloadable content season pass, set to be released in six waves over the course of the year following the game's launch. [15] [24] Each wave of the pass adds multiple characters, a race track, a vehicle, emotes, and sounds based on a different franchise, including Minecraft , SpongeBob SquarePants , Pac-Man , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem , and Avatar Legends . [15] [29] [28] Limited Run Games will produce a physical Collector's Edition of the game with additional physical rewards. [47]
During 2025, Sega promoted the game through a "Racing Around the World" marketing campaign. [48] In June, the company announced a multi-year partnership with the McLaren Formula One racing team. [48] A promotional short animated by Studio Giggex and SIMAGE animation was released on August 29. [49] [50] IDW Publishing, the publisher of the Sonic comic book series, will also release a tie-in comic issue. [47]
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