Alongside debuting new gameplay, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka joined us at IGN Live to share more about Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and why that is one large crossover kart racer you need to play.
We are simply someday faraway from Sonic Racing: CrossWorld's big reveal at Summer Game Fest that Hatsune Miku, Like a Dragon's Ichiban Kasuga, Persona 5's Joker, and Minecraft's Steve, Alex, and Creeper will all be visitor characters, and Iizuka mirrored on what the method was like in selecting who will get to hitch in on all of the enjoyable.
"We wanted to make sure the second lap around was going to be full of surprises as you're going to a different world that you didn't even think was possible," Iizuka mentioned. "So, when brainstorming what we could do to make that really fun and exciting, we knew it would be great to go to some of the Sega IP worlds, but we also wanted to go to other IP worlds and really surprise people with that second lap. As we got to thinking about what worlds be fun to explore, we really thought Minecraft and its characters could be very fun."
For these unfamiliar, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has a very attention-grabbing three-lap components thats begins with a fairly customary first lap. However, the racer in first place will then get to choose a new world everybody will race by way of through Travel Rings.
"The three Lap formula is really good for racers," Iizuka mentioned. "It's really easy to understand, and we wanted to make things new and fresh so you're not just racing around the same place over and over again. And that was where the idea of the Travel Ring formed, which is to bring you somewhere new and unknown in that second lap. That's not all, as we wanted to keep the surprise and the racing really fresh and fun, so we added in some surprises for the third lap too."
We then shifted our dialog to objects, and Iizuka shared that he beloved that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is paying homage to Sonic Racing video games with the addition of the Rocket Punch merchandise and Team Sonic Racing with Wisp objects, however he did admit that his favourite merchandise on this new game is the Monster Truck power-up that "lets you turn your vehicle into a monster truck and just run over everyone in front of you."
There's a lot more to sit up for in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds when it’s launched on September 25, 2025, together with the return of Sonic Riders' hoverboards, the flexibility for any character to journey in any automobile, racing up to 12 gamers online, and even probably the most-welcome of options in cross-play.
Speaking of totally different platforms, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds might be launched on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. And yes, though it might arrive a bit after, Switch 2 gamers may even quickly be capable of hit the highway with the over 23 racers featured on this game.
For more, take a look at our Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds preview and the whole lot else you need to find out about IGN Live.
Adam Bankhurst is a author for IGN. You can observe him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and hearken to his show, Talking Disney Magic.