Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Could Be Releasing Soon

Back in December, Sega announced Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, a new racing game starring Sonic the Hedgehog and his supporting cast. Fans have been eagerly awaiting a release date, and it seems the game could be arriving very soon. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has officially been rated in Australia, and that’s usually a solid hint that a game is going to be released in the near future. Since the game was first announced at The Game Awards it stands to reason that we could see a release date revealed at another Geoff Keighley show; Summer Game Fest is set to take place on June 6th.

Over the last three years, Sega has carved out late October and early November for its yearly Sonic the Hedgehog releases. Sonic Frontiers was released in November 2022, Sonic Superstars in October 2023, and Sonic x Shadow Generations in October 2024. Many fans had assumed a similar release window for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, but this rating would seem to suggest the game will arrive sooner. In theory, that could be good news for Sonic fans, but there are some factors that could hurt the game.

When Sonic Superstars was released in October 2023, the 2D Sonic game found itself in direct competition with Super Mario Bros. Wonder. That competition did not work out well for Sega, as the game’s sales were deemed “sluggish.” If Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds releases in the next month or two, it will find itself in a similar competition, as Mario Kart World will be released on June 5th. The Sonic games have sold pretty well on Nintendo systems, so putting out a direct competitor around the same time as a new Mario Kart seems like it could be a big mistake. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds does have the benefit of releasing on multiple platforms, but it could suffer from comparisons between the two games, or a lack of overall attention.

That’s not the only reason the timing could be suspect. Alongside Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch 2 will launch with a version of Sonic x Shadow Generations. It’s hard to imagine Sega would have bothered releasing the game on Switch 2 if it was planning a release for another Sonic game just a month or two later. Hopefully Sega will offer some clarity, so fans know when to expect the game’s release.

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While we don’t have a release date, Sega does seem to be getting the hype cycle started. Over the last few years, the company has established themes that last throughout the year. In 2024, the theme was “Fearless: The Year of Shadow,” to tie in with the release of Sonic x Shadow Generations, as well as Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3. This year will see a similar theme centered around Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds called “Racing Around the World.” Sega will be selling merchandise centered around that theme, and the company will be partnering with various brands during the campaign.

Are you excited about Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds? Do you think it will release soon, or not until this fall? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Reddit]