Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds updates and collaborations

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, developed by Sega, has announced a series of updates and collaborations for its second year, following its initial release on September 25, 2025. Although the game did not meet initial commercial expectations, Sega has outlined plans for free updates, a new series of six DLCs, and price reductions to ensure the game's long-term viability. These announcements were made during the final of the World Championships of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, which crowned the Mexican player Exponso live from New York.

New characters and vehicles added

The free updates include a Duel mode designed for 1 versus 1 racing, an improvement of the gadget system, and the addition of two new playable characters: Aigis from Persona 3 and Bayonetta from Bayonetta. A new vehicle, the McLaren Racing, inspired by the real car, will also be introduced. The free content includes a new vehicle and characters, with Bayonetta available on November 3, 2026, and Aigis joining the game in 2027. The McLaren Racing will be available in November 2026.

Duel mode mechanics

The Duel mode introduces a Turbo gauge that can be filled over time and by using items, allowing players to strategically gain big accelerations during races. Players can see their opponents' items, gadgets, and positions, enabling them to attack or defend with their own items to maintain an advantage. The mode offers several ways to play, including offline matches against AI opponents, online races against random opponents, limited-time online events, and friendly matches between friends with customizable rules.

Enhanced gadget system

The gadget system will be enhanced with a new gadget plate called the "Super slot," which amplifies the effects of single-slot gadgets. This addition, along with 15 new gadgets introduced from day one, offers more strategic possibilities. Post-launch characters, including those from the paid DLCs, will become AI opponents in both offline and online modes.

New drivers and limited-time festivals

The second year will introduce new drivers and machines, with the first three free characters announced as Bayonetta, McLaren Racing, and Aigis. Each new character will be accompanied by a limited-time festival offering bonus rewards for participating in exclusive races. These festivals will be active for ten consecutive days, with some older festivals returning occasionally.

Collaborations and price reductions

The Season Pass 2 includes six premium DLC packs based on collaborations with iconic entertainment franchises. These include a Godzilla Pack, an Evangelion Pack, a Virtual Sanrio Puroland Pack, a SEGALAND Pack, a Midgar pack based on the Final Fantasy VII remake, and a Reload Revival Royal pack from the Persona series. Each DLC pack includes tracks, drivers, machines, additional music, sounds, and emotes for characters.

New pricing and bonus content

Price reductions have been introduced for the Digital Deluxe and Standard editions of the game. The standard edition's price has been permanently reduced from 69.99 € to 39.99 €, while the Digital Deluxe edition is now 59.99 €. The new Season Pass 2 is available for purchase at 29.99 € on all compatible platforms and includes additional content such as SEGA controller stickers and SEGA consoles packs. The Super Shadow driver and his machine will be given as bonus content to all players who own Season Pass 1 and 2.