Sonic Racing CrossWorlds isn’t just another lap around the track. It feels like SEGA finally understands what makes a modern kart racer tick. After going hands-on with a preview build and seeing the latest Gamescom 2025 updates, it’s clear this isn’t just Sonic Team trying to keep pace with Mario Kart.
Instead, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds is carving out a lane of its own by leaning into crossovers, fan service, and a surprising amount of depth under the hood. The biggest reveal at Gamescom was the addition of PAC-MAN and his rival ghosts to the Season Pass roster. The inclusion is more than just novelty; the new PAC-MAN track captures the arcade legend’s history, shifting between glowing neon mazes and reimagined twists on the yellow icon’s roots.
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In motion, it fits right into the chaotic energy of Sonic’s world while still keeping a distinct personality, and it’s the kind of crossover that makes the game feel like it could become something bigger than its blue blur branding.
Sonic Racing Crossworlds adds PAC-MAN to it’s increasing line-up of crossovers.
When I played, what stood out most was how much variety Sonic Racing CrossWorlds packs into its racing. The traditional Grand Prix remains the backbone, but the new Rival System adds a subtle layer of tension that makes even solo play feel more alive.
Having a rival assigned across four tracks gives you someone to measure yourself against beyond just the podium finish, and the light banter and taunts go a long way toward giving races personality. It doesn’t overhaul the formula, but for players who usually tackle Grand Prix alone, it’s a welcome spark that keeps you pushing harder each lap.
Time Trials also hit that sweet spot for single-player racers. Saving ghosts and replaying them instantly made me want to shave seconds off my runs, and that constant self-competition adds replayability to tracks that might otherwise feel one-and-done.
Race Park, on the other hand, feels like the game’s big wild card. It isn’t a throwaway side mode, but something that could carry a lot of weight for parties and casual nights with friends. Its mix of formats and customizable rules has the kind of playful creativity that lets players take control of how chaotic they want their races to be.
Crossovers aren’t a gimmick in Sonic Racing CrossWorlds; it’s essential.
Builds and customization give the racing even more depth. Each character can be tuned with different vehicle parts that genuinely change how a race plays out. Speed-focused builds let you rocket through straights but demand precision in corners, while handling-heavy setups transform characters into drifting machines at the cost of raw velocity.
Even in a short preview, swapping builds changed how I approached every race, sometimes blasting through sections recklessly, other times playing it safe with tighter control. It’s not just cosmetic tinkering. Builds reshape how you interact with the track and encourage experimentation, both solo and online.
Multiplayer feels just as promising. Local split-screen for four players is a given, showing the Sonic Team has been paying attention to the basics. Online play, meanwhile, is shaping up to be the game’s long-term hook. With 12-player races and cross-platform matchmaking across every major console and PC, the community won’t be split. If the netcode holds up, this could be the foundation for a racer that thrives well beyond its launch window.
SEGA’s take on kart racing is innovative enough to feel unique.
What really makes Sonic Racing CrossWorlds interesting, though, is SEGA’s clear push to make the game feel bigger than launch day. The Digital Deluxe Edition folds in Sonic Prime characters alongside a Season Pass stacked with crossovers ranging from PAC-MAN to SpongeBob and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
It’s an absurd lineup on paper, but in practice, more characters just means more reasons to keep jumping back in. The game isn’t just leaning on Sonic’s cast — it’s embracing the idea of being a true crossover racer.
Even the smaller touches point to a willingness to dig deep into the franchise. Pre-orders unlock Sonic the Werehog, a callback that shows Sonic Team is willing to tap into fan service that goes beyond the obvious. It’s the kind of bonus that longtime fans will appreciate and new players will at least find amusing.
Layered on top of that, SEGA is staging an Open Network Test August 29 through September 1, letting players on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch try the game before release. That kind of confidence in letting players stress test the online early suggests SEGA is aiming to make sure this isn’t a flash-in-the-pan launch.
Crossworlds digs deep into franchises in the best way, and even Hatsune Miku will join in.
The commitment doesn’t stop there. Free roster expansions from across SEGA’s library are already planned, with characters like Joker, Kasuga Ichiban, and Hatsune Miku waiting in the wings. Combined with the Season Pass crossovers, it paints a picture of a game that’s going to evolve rather than stay static. For a genre where too many racers fade after a few weekends, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds feels designed to live and breathe alongside its players.
In the end, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds looks and plays like the fastest, flashiest entry the series has ever had. The driving feels tight, the roster is both nostalgic and wild, and the structure encourages coming back week after week. It’s chaotic, it’s colorful, and with SEGA treating it like a true ongoing project, it just might be the rival to Mario Kart that Sonic fans have been waiting for.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds releases on September 25, 2025, with the Digital Deluxe edition offering early access on September 22 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
