During the IGN Live event, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka joined us not only to showcase new gameplay but also to discuss Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, explaining why this massive crossover kart racer is a must-play.
Just one day after the Summer Game Fest reveal confirmed that Hatsune Miku, Like a Dragon's Ichiban Kasuga, Persona 5's Joker, and Minecraft's Steve, Alex, and Creeper will appear as guest racers, Iizuka shared insights into how these crossover characters were selected.
"We wanted the second lap to be full of surprises, taking players to worlds they never imagined possible," Iizuka stated. "When brainstorming ideas to make the experience exciting, we knew visiting Sega IP worlds would be great—but we also aimed to venture into other IP universes to truly surprise everyone on that second lap. As we considered which worlds would be thrilling, we felt Minecraft and its characters would bring a lot of fun."
For those unfamiliar, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds introduces a unique three-lap structure: the first lap follows a standard racing format, but the first-place racer then selects a new world via Travel Rings for everyone to race through.
"The three-lap format works really well for racing games," Iizuka noted. "It's easy to grasp, and we wanted to keep things fresh—so you're not just repeating laps on the same track. That led to the Travel Ring concept, which transports players to an unexpected new location in the second lap. And to maintain excitement, we added more surprises for the third lap as well."
When asked about items, Iizuka expressed his enthusiasm for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' nods to past games—such as the Rocket Punch and Wisp items—but revealed his favorite is the Monster Truck power-up, which "transforms your vehicle into a monster truck, letting you plow through opponents ahead."
Players can look forward to much more when Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launches on September 25, 2025, including the return of Sonic Riders' hoverboards, the ability for any character to drive any vehicle, 12-player online races, and the highly anticipated 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 launch a bit later, Switch 2 players will also get to join the action with over 23 racers featured in the game.
For additional details, check out our Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds preview and explore everything IGN Live has to offer.
