Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Drops High-Speed Opening Theme “Cross the Worlds”

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is speeding toward a big launch, and fans are getting their engines ready. Sega and Sonic Team are bringing a brand-new kart racing game that mixes together a bunch of cool features from past Sonic racers and throws in some wild new ones. The game is set to release on September 25, 2025, for all major consoles and PC, with a version for Nintendo Switch 2 arriving later.

One of the biggest new features is something called the “CrossWorld” mechanic. During a race, players will suddenly jump from one track to another in real time. So you could be racing through Green Hill Zone one second and suddenly find yourself drifting through Chemical Plant the next.

It’s a wild twist that’s meant to shake things up mid-race.

The game looks and plays a lot like earlier Sonic racing titles. You race in three-lap matches, collect power-ups, drift through tight turns, and boost ahead of your opponents. The controls and feel are similar to Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and there’s even an option to switch between cars, boats, and planes during races. You can also pick Extreme Gear hoverboards, like in Sonic Riders.

Each character has their own stats, and they’re not stuck with one vehicle. Vehicles come in different classes, Speed, Acceleration, Power, Handling, and there’s also a special Boost class only for the hoverboards.

Now the official channel has released the opening theme for the game, as a “Midweek treat.” You can check it out below:

There are 45 vehicles to unlock, and players can customize them by mixing parts. You’ll earn something called Donpa Tickets just by playing, and those can be traded for extra designs, paint, or decals. Before every race, players can equip gadgets to help them out, like one that pulls in rings from far away or boosts the chance of getting a certain power-up. Some gadgets take up more space than others, but you can unlock up to six slots.

Sega confirmed that this will be the biggest lineup of playable characters ever in a Sonic racing game. At launch, there will be 23 characters available, plus one more that you can unlock.

The game was first teased at The Game Awards in 2024. Sega later showed the first real gameplay trailer at Sony’s State of Play in February 2025. A closed beta was held on PlayStation 5 not long after. In June, some early images and footage leaked online, revealing the guest characters.

Sega wasn’t happy about it. “It really took away from the surprise,” said Takashi Iizuka from Sonic Team. Still, they officially confirmed the guests at Summer Game Fest on June 6 and locked in the final release date.

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