Fresh gameplay debuted at IGN Live alongside Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka, who shared insights into Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and why this massive crossover kart racer is a must-play.
Following the Summer Game Fest reveal that Hatsune Miku, Like a Dragon’s Ichiban Kasuga, Persona 5’s Joker, and Minecraft’s Steve, Alex, and Creeper will appear as guest characters, Iizuka reflected on the selection process for the roster.
“We wanted the second lap to be full of surprises, taking players to worlds they never imagined possible,” Iizuka explained. “When brainstorming how to make this exciting, we knew visiting Sega IP worlds would be great, but we also wanted to explore other universes to really catch people off guard. Thinking about which worlds would be fun, Minecraft and its characters stood out as a perfect fit.”
For those unfamiliar, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds features a unique three-lap format. The first lap is fairly standard, but then the leader selects a new world for everyone to race through via Travel Rings.
“The three-lap structure works well for racing games,” Iizuka noted. “It’s easy to grasp, and we aimed to keep things fresh so you’re not repeating the same track. That’s where the Travel Ring concept came from—to transport you somewhere new and unknown on the second lap. But we didn’t stop there; to maintain excitement, we added more surprises for the third lap as well.”
Shifting to items, Iizuka expressed his appreciation for how Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds honors past titles with additions like the Rocket Punch and Wisp items. He admitted his personal favorite is the Monster Truck power-up, which “transforms your vehicle so you can plow through opponents ahead.”
There’s plenty more to anticipate when Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launches on September 25, 2025, including the return of Sonic Riders’ hoverboards, the ability for any character to use any vehicle, online races with up to 12 players, and the welcome addition of cross-play.
The game will release on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Although it may arrive slightly later, Switch 2 players will also join the race with over 23 featured racers.
For additional details, read our Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds preview and explore everything IGN Live has to offer.
