Fresh off its gameplay debut, Sonic Team lead Takashi Iizuka sat down with us at IGN Live to discuss Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds in more detail. He explained why this ambitious crossover kart racer is a must-play.
Following the game's major Summer Game Fest reveal just a day ago—which featured guest characters Hatsune Miku, Ichiban Kasuga from Like a Dragon, Joker from Persona 5, and Steve, Alex, and the Creeper from Minecraft—Iizuka reflected on the process of selecting who gets to join the fun.
"Our goal was to ensure the second lap would be full of surprises, transporting you to a world you never imagined possible," Iizuka said. "While brainstorming ways to make it exciting, we knew visiting Sega IP worlds would be great, but we also wanted to venture into other franchises to truly shock players. As we considered which worlds would be fun to explore, Minecraft and its characters immediately stood out as a fantastic choice."
For the uninitiated, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds features a unique three-lap structure. It begins with a standard first lap, but then the race leader gets to choose a new world for everyone to compete in via Travel Rings.
"The three-lap format works perfectly for racing games," Iizuka noted. "It's easy to grasp, and we wanted to keep the experience fresh so players aren't just repeating the same track. That's where the Travel Ring concept came from—it whisks you away to a new, unknown location for the second lap. And to keep the excitement high, we've added some extra surprises for the third lap as well."
Our conversation then turned to items. Iizuka expressed his appreciation for how CrossWorlds honors past Sonic Racing titles with items like the Rocket Punch and the Wisps from Team Sonic Racing. However, he admitted his personal favorite is the Monster Truck power-up, which "transforms your vehicle so you can plow through the competition ahead."
There's much more to anticipate when Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launches on September 25, 2025. Highlights include the return of hoverboards from Sonic Riders, the freedom for any character to drive any vehicle, online races for up to 12 players, and the highly requested cross-play feature.
The game will be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. And yes, while it may follow slightly later, Switch 2 players will also soon be able to join the race alongside the game's roster of over 23 characters.
For more information, be sure to read our full Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds preview and catch up on everything IGN Live.
