Game intel
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
Race across land, sea, air, space, and time in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds! Warp through Travel Rings into new dimensions where something new awaits around every…
This caught my attention because it sounds like the sequel I wanted after Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. SEGA and Sonic Team just launched Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC and Switch, with transforming terrain (land, sea, air-and now space), cross-platform matchmaking, 12-player online, and four‑player split-screen. The pitch is big, the price is AAA, and the roster is already eyeing crossover chaos from Minecraft to Mega Man.
Modes cover the usual bases with a few twists. Grand Prix offers seven cups (four races each), so you’re looking at at least 28 courses out of the gate, with Time Trial leaderboards for the speedrun crowd. World Match handles ranked 12‑player online, while Friend/Custom Match lets you tweak Speed, Team Size, AI difficulty, items, Frenzy Gates, and rules. There’s also Race Park-basically a party ruleset with six unique formats—and four‑player local split-screen for couch rivalry.
Team play returns (you can set Team Size), which is smart—Team Sonic Racing’s cooperative mechanics were the best thing about that game. Cross-platform matchmaking means your lobby fills faster no matter your hardware, though SEGA’s wording focuses on matchmaking rather than full cross‑platform party invites; we’ll see if cross‑friends lists make the cut or if it’s “matchmaking only.”
A new Rival System assigns a nemesis across a Grand Prix, complete with playful taunts. If the AI uses this to spice up drafting and rubber‑banding without cheap shots, I’m in. If it’s just pop‑up quips as you pass each other, that’s fluff. The real test, as always with kart racers, will be handling feel and item balance—Transformed nailed drift weight and boost chaining; Team Sonic Racing felt tighter but less wild without boat/plane segments. CrossWorlds promises both speed and spectacle; controller-in-hand will tell us if it’s got the grip to match the glitter.
Base game roster pulls from the Sonic universe and will “continue to grow” with free updates. SEGA calls out Persona’s Joker, Like a Dragon’s Kasuga Ichiban, and even Hatsune Miku as post‑launch additions at no extra cost. That’s a crowd‑pleasing start—and a nod back to the old All‑Stars days when SEGA loved mixing its own IP into the grid.
But the bigger collaborations live behind the Season Pass that’s bundled with the Digital Deluxe Edition. That pass brings characters, vehicles, and courses from Minecraft (Alex, Steve, Creeper plus course/vehicle), PAC‑MAN (Pac‑Man and the ghosts), Mega Man (Mega Man, Proto Man), and Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob, with TMNT and Avatar to be detailed later. Deluxe also includes Sonic Prime variants (Knuckles the Dread, Rusty Rose, Tails Nine). It’s a fun crossover playground—but here’s the rub: if tracks are paywalled, that can fracture lobbies unless SEGA does “host owns content, everyone races” sharing. The press materials don’t say. Consider this a big question mark for the online health of the game.
On the plus side, SEGA explicitly promises some guest characters via free updates. On the cautious side, the Season Pass bundles the most marketable third‑party brands. That split is fine if the free cadence is steady and meaningful; less so if the best courses are trapped behind a pay gate.
Pricing lands at £64.99 on PS5/PS4/Xbox/PC and £54.99 on Switch. Digital Deluxe is £79.99 (main platforms) and £69.99 on Switch, packing the Season Pass and Sonic Prime characters. That’s a bold tag in a genre where Mario Kart 8 Deluxe keeps selling but also sets the 60fps gold standard. For a premium racer, frame rate matters: if CrossWorlds can hit 60fps on PS5/Series X and maintain consistent performance in 4‑player split-screen, it’ll feel right. If Switch dips to 30fps, that’s survivable for casual couch play, but competitive online will notice.
SEGA also name‑drops a Nintendo Switch 2 version—digital holiday 2025, physical early 2026. That’s an eyebrow‑raiser and signals SEGA expects CrossWorlds to have legs. Good for longevity, but if you’re a Switch player thinking about upgrading within a year, maybe hold off double‑dipping unless save/cross‑progression gets confirmed.
One more note: the fine print says online features (and in‑game purchases) aren’t guaranteed forever. It’s standard legalese, but in a crossplay, live‑updated kart racer, strong netcode and long‑term server support will make or break ranked play.
Features look right: transforming tracks, ranked ladders, meaningful customization (build your machine, equip gadgets, juggle items), and both solo and team racing options. The roster direction is smart too, blending Sonic staples with culture‑clash guest stars that will light up social feeds. But the soul of a kart racer is how it feels at the apex of a drift and how fair it feels when the items start flying. If CrossWorlds captures Transformed’s momentum while keeping item chaos readable—and backs that up with flexible DLC sharing so the community doesn’t split—it could be Sonic’s best racer yet.
Day‑one, I’m optimistic with guardrails: excited for planes/boats back in the mix, wary of Season Pass track locks, and hoping cross‑platform parties exist beyond matchmaking. If SEGA nails those details, CrossWorlds won’t just be another kart game—it’ll be the one everyone installs for Friday night races.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds brings back transforming tracks, 12‑player online with crossplay, and a flashy crossover roster. Some guest characters are free, but the biggest third‑party courses live in a Season Pass. If the handling sings and DLC doesn’t split lobbies, this could be Sonic’s best racer since Transformed.
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