Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

updated_at: March 05, 2026 23:56

published_at: February 12, 2025 21:35

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Release Date	Gameplay & Story	DLC & Pre-Order	Review

Release Date
September 25, 2025 PC, PS5, PS4, XBXS, XB1, NSW December 4, 2025 NSW2 More Details
Genre
Racing
Platforms	Price (MSRP)
	$69.99
Developer	Publisher
Sonic Team	SEGA
Number of Players	Age Rating
1-4 Players (Local Co-Op) 1-12 Players (Online Co-Op)	ESRB E Parental Guidance (Australian Classification Board)
Time to Finish	Cross Platform Play
10+ Hours	Yes
Official Website	Official Website for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Latest News

　⚫︎　Tangle and Whisper, two characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog IDW comics, are releasing for free on Sonic Racing: Crossworld. They will arrive to the game on February 25th, with an in-game "Tangle & Whisper Festival" running from February 26 at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET until March 1 at 3:59 pm. PT / 6:59 p.m. ET.

　⚫︎　A free update for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launched on February 11, adding AiAi from the Super Monkey Ball series as a playable character. The Super Monkey Ball Content Drop also introduces the Banana Cruiser vehicle, themed music tracks, and a limited-time festival event with exclusive rewards.

　⚫︎　Sega will launch a physical edition of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds for the Nintendo Switch 2 on March 26, 2026.

　⚫︎　Sega released the Pac-Man Pack for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds on January 8, 2026, which adds two racers, a custom vehicle, and a themed course. All players can also participate in the Pac-Man Festival event to earn exclusive rewards through January 11.

　⚫︎　In an interview with Famitsu, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds director Ken Kobayakawa teased that the development team is preparing "many more amazing surprises" for the game throughout 2026.

　⚫︎　SEGA has released a free content update for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds that adds NiGHTS as a playable racer along with their signature "Dream Sleeper" vehicle. Launched on December 24, 2025, the update also includes five music tracks from the NiGHTS series and a special "NiGHTS Festival" event with exclusive rewards.

Read more: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds News

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Overview

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, revealed in December 2024, is the latest installment in SEGA’s Sonic Racing franchise. Building upon its predecessors, this title aims to be "Sonic game, driving game, and action game all-in-one," while bringing together characters from the Sonic universe and other SEGA properties. The game launched on September 25, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. A Nintendo Switch 2 version arrived on December 4 of the same year.

Key to the game are the Travel Rings. During races, the leading racer chooses the "CrossWorld" for the second lap, shifting the track to a different dimension. As terrains change, so too must players adapt to the different environments, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. These changes in track design draw inspiration from previous Sonic Racing titles, including Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed.

Digital Storefronts
Steam	Epic	PS	Xbox	Switch 2
$69.99
Switch
$59.99

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Gameplay

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds introduces a unique track system that goes beyond traditional racing circuits. Players will race through 24 main tracks, but more are in store for players due to the inclusion of Travel Rings. These Rings act as portals that transport players to 15 different CrossWorlds mid-race. After the first lap, the leading racer can choose between two Travel Rings, each leading to a different dimension.

In addition to this, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds also boasts the largest roster of playable characters in the franchise to date. At launch, players can choose from 23 different racers in its base roster, with promises of more additions in the future. This roster also includes iconic characters from SEGA’s library of games.

Furthermore, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds features an arsenal of 23 power-up items. These items include returning favorites from previous Sonic Racing games and new additions like the Monster Truck item. Players can use these power-ups to gain an advantage over their opponents or unleash devastating attacks.

Read more: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Gameplay and Story

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Characters

Sonic the Hedgehog

A Sonic game wouldn’t be one without the Blue Blur himself. With his speed, Sonic is no stranger to the racetrack. His racing career began in Sonic Drift (1994) and its sequel, Sonic Drift 2 (1995), before he blazed onto the track in Sonic R (1997).

The 2000s saw Sonic swapping sneakers for hoverboards in Sonic Riders (2006), Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (2008), and Sonic Free Riders (2010). He also starred in the action-racing duology Sonic Rivals (2006) and Sonic Rivals 2 (2007) on the PSP. More recently, he’s been at the forefront of kart-style racers, including Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (2010), Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed (2012), Team Sonic Racing (2019), and the upcoming Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (2025) in his signature kart, Speedster Lightning.

Miles "Tails" Prower

Tails has been chasing victory alongside Sonic for decades. His racing debut came in Sonic Drift and Sonic Drift 2, where he proved he could keep up with the Blue Blur. He returned to the track in Sonic R, and later hit the skies in Sonic Riders, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, and Sonic Free Riders. Tails also competed in Sonic Rivals 2 for the PSP and raced alongside Sega all-stars in Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed and Team Sonic Racing. He's set to race again in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, behind the wheel of his Whirlwind Sport.

Shadow the Hedgehog

The Ultimate Life Form himself first brought his no-nonsense attitude in 2006’s Sonic Riders. He returned in the aforementioned game’s sequels, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity and Sonic Free Riders. Shadow also hit the tracks in Sonic Rivals and Sonic Rivals 2. He later showcased his driving skills in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and Team Sonic Racing. He is set to prove that his mastery of chaos energy translates just as well to the driver’s seat in the upcoming Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.

Read more: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Characters and Tracks

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Trivia

⚫︎　Certain tracks in Sonic Racing Crossworlds are direct homages to iconic Sonic locales, such as Metal Harbor being inspired by Sonic Adventure 2 and Kronos Island being the main setting of Sonic Frontiers.
⚫︎ Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is the first Sonic Racing game since 2019's Team Sonic Racing　
⚫︎　Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is the first time that the Sonic franchise has ever crossed over with the SpongeBob SquarePants series. Other guest characters from other IPs, such as Mega Man, Pac-Man, and Minecraft, have crossed over with Sonic before in games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
⚫︎　Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds explains why Sonic doesn't race on foot despite being "the fastest thing alive" with Sonic noting that he wants to be fair to other kart racers and that he respects the sport.