Today, during the Gamescom Opening Night Live Pre-Show, SEGA, alongside Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., released a new trailer revealing PAC-MAN as the latest addition to the growing Season Pass roster. Players will be able to race as the titular PAC-MAN as well as the infamous rival Ghosts on a track inspired by the video game icon’s modern and classic arcade-era PAC-MAN games.

In addition, it was announced today that an Open Network Test will be live starting Friday, the 29th of August 2025, until Monday, the 1^st of September 2025. Players around the world can race as Sonic and friends for free on PlayStation®5 (PS5®), Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch™.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will release on the 25^th of September 2025, and is available for pre-order now for PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and Xbox One.

The Nintendo Switch 2 system version will be available for pre-order at a later date. There will be an upgrade path available for owners of Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch- OLED Model, and Nintendo Switch Lite, with content and progress able to carry over through the upgrade. The Nintendo Switch 2 system version will launch in early 2026.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds features a huge roster of everyone’s favourite characters from the Sonic universe, which will continue to grow after launch with the addition of familiar faces like Joker, Kasuga Ichiban, and Hatsune Miku from other SEGA franchises and beyond. These characters will be available to all players at no additional cost through a series of game updates.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds expands the roster even further with playable characters from the hit Netflix series, Sonic Prime and a Season Pass that brings guest characters, vehicles, and tracks from other iconic entertainment franchises like the recently announced PAC-MAN, Minecraft, as well as beloved Nickelodeon properties like SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar.

Fans who pre-order Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds ahead of launch will receive an additional character – Sonic the Werehog from Sonic Unleashed™ – along with a special vehicle and decal!

Fans can look forward to more updates in a brand-new trailer tomorrow, but for a sneak peek at upcoming game modes and features, please see below:

Variety of Game Modes

• Grand Prix – Compete solo or with friends in local split-screen co-op for first place in one of 7 cups (comprised of 4 races each). Racers are awarded points based on their placements at the end of races, and the racer with the most points at the end wins!
• World Match – Test your skills and compete online against 11 other players. Earn Rank Points, increase your World Rank, and aim for the top!
• Friend Match – Play with up to 11 other players online in custom lobbies where you can control all aspects of a race, such as Speed, Team Size, Course/CrossWorlds, AI Difficulty, Frenzy Gates, Items, and Rule Sets.
• Race Park – Change up the rules and teams online and offline in this party mode that features six unique race formats.
• Time Trial – Compete for the best time on individual courses and aim for the top of the Leaderboard Rankings.
• Custom Match – Play with up to 4 players offline split-screen, where you can control all aspects of a race, such as Speed, Team Size, Courses/CrossWorlds, AI Difficulty, Frenzy Gates, Items, and Rule Sets.
• Rival System – With the new Rival System, players are randomly assigned to a rival racer for the duration of the four Grand Prix races. The rival will playfully taunt the main racer with unique dialogue interactions, allowing for fun competition within the main races.
• Four Player Local Co-Op – Compete against friends for first place with local co-op! Hop on the same device and see who has what it takes with up to four players and split-screen capabilities.
• Cross-Platform Matchmaking – Players can also look forward to racing online with up to 11 other friends*! With cross-platform matchmaking, everyone can hop into the race no matter what console they own.

For even more game-specific details and updates, follow the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds X account.