A brand-new racing game filled with surprises, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds brings together a wide cast of characters from the Sonic series and beyond, all competing for speed across a variety of dynamic stages.
At Summer Game Fest 2025 in Los Angeles, it was announced that guest racers will include Hatsune Miku, Ichiban Kasuga from the Yakuza series, Joker from Persona 5 Royal, and Steve from Minecraft, sparking major excitement among fans.
At the Summer Game Fest 2025 Play Days, Takashi Iizuka, head of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, sat down for an interview. He shared his thoughts on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, including his impressions of the overseas reactions he witnessed firsthand and his passion for the project.
Takashi Iizuka
Producer of the Sonic series.
Hatsune Miku drew attention for her unexpected inclusion. This game feels like a culmination that brings together the best elements from past titles.
Q: First, could you briefly share your background and how you’re involved with this project?
Iizuka: My history with the Sonic series began with the 1993 release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for the Mega Drive. Since then, I’ve worked on both the Sonic series and NiGHTS into Dreams…. Starting with the 2010 title Sonic Colors, I took on a producer role, overseeing the various Sonic development teams and unifying their efforts. Ever since, I’ve been developing games in the U.S. alongside the Sonic Team in Japan.
As for this title, it all started with the idea of making a new Sonic racing game. Within the overall roadmap of the Sonic franchise, I was the one who proposed “let’s make a new one.” From there, we began assembling the right development team for the project, including internal staff and external collaborators. We ultimately brought on Masaru Kohayakawa (the game’s Creative Director), Ryuichi Taki (the game’s Producer), and SEGA’s arcade team known for Initial D and other racing titles.
Q: It’s exciting to hear that the Initial D team is behind this racing game.
Iizuka: Absolutely. This project came together as a collaboration between SEGA’s top racing game developers and the Sonic Team. From the start, we decided to build this game together, and I worked closely with Taki and Kohayakawa as we discussed what kind of game we wanted it to be.
Q: When did development actually begin?
Iizuka: Honestly, it started quite a long time ago, so I don’t remember the exact timing. Development has taken a considerable amount of time.
Q: That clearly shows how much effort has gone into it. At Summer Game Fest, the latest trailer was revealed, and characters like Hatsune Miku, Ichiban Kasuga, and Joker caused a huge stir. What did you think of the global reaction?
Iizuka: Hatsune Miku, in particular, got a surprisingly strong reaction. She’s not a SEGA character, so I think the unexpectedness really caught people’s attention, both at the event and online.
Also, Minecraft made a big impact. It’s the best-selling game in the world, so having Sonic collaborate with it definitely drew a lot of interest.
Q: Previous Sonic racing games also featured guest characters. What was the reasoning behind adding characters like Hatsune Miku, Ichiban Kasuga, and Joker this time?
Iizuka: Let me clarify this first. Hatsune Miku, Ichiban Kasuga, and Joker will be added as free updates after launch. When you purchase the game, it only includes Sonic characters on the disc. This is a “Team Sonic Racing” game at its core. But starting post-launch, non-Sonic characters will be added monthly for free. Those three are part of that upcoming lineup.
Minecraft is a separate case. That’s part of a paid Season Pass, which will include various large-scale IP collaborations throughout the year. We’ve currently planned six slots for the Season Pass.
Q: That’s quite an impressive and large lineup.
Iizuka: Sonic racing games have actually been around for a while. The starting point for the modern ones was Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing in 2010, where Sonic was just one of many SEGA characters racing.
That evolved into Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (released in Japan in 2014), followed by Team Sonic Racing in 2019, and now CrossWorlds. Each game has its own fanbase, and our goal this time was to combine the best aspects from all of them.
For example, bringing back transforming vehicles from Transformed, or having Sonic characters interact mid-race. We also incorporated elements from the Sonic Riders series, which featured hoverboard racing. This game brings together the best of all Sonic racing titles. Including non-Sonic SEGA characters was a natural extension to make it even more exciting.
Q: So it’s fair to call this a culmination of SEGA racing games. One of our editors is a huge Shenmue fan and remembers Ryo Hazuki being exclusive to the Western version of Transformed. Any chance of seeing him again?
Iizuka: I can’t comment on unannounced characters, but the possibility isn’t zero. Still, we can’t add just anyone. We’re planning to add one character per month, so we’ll focus on SEGA’s most popular characters and IPs.
These additions likely won’t be announced in advance, either. We want players to look forward to each month thinking, “Who’s coming next?”
Q: You mentioned character interactions. Will there be voiced exchanges between Sonic and guest characters like Ichiban Kasuga?
Iizuka: No, only Sonic’s 24 core characters will have voiced interactions. Due to IP licensing and character handling, guest characters won’t have voiced dialogue with Sonic characters.
Q: Even so, with 24 Sonic characters interacting, that’s a lot of combinations.
Iizuka: That’s right. Each of the 24 has a rival, and aside from the pre-race intros, we also have mid-race interactions. For example, if Sonic hits Shadow with an item, he’ll say something like, “Take that, Shadow!” That’s all fully voiced and varies by character pair. Even quieter characters like Sage have lines, so fans can really enjoy seeing how each character expresses themselves. It’s definitely one of the highlights.
Q: We’d love to see every dialogue pattern! With so many racing games out there, what makes Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds stand out? What would you say are its defining features?
Iizuka: We didn’t concern ourselves too much with what other companies are doing. Our goal was to make the ultimate Sonic racing game — one that satisfies every kind of fan. We’ve brought together the best team in Sonic racing history, including talent from Sonic Riders and beyond, to deliver the most fun and exciting experience possible.
One of the biggest unique features is the Travel Ring mechanic, where you warp to a completely different world on the second lap and return on the third. It’s a core gameplay idea we’re sure no other title offers. Technically, it was incredibly challenging, but we fully focused on building the best race around that fresh concept.
Q: After trying the game, I can say it felt amazing. The sense of control and feedback was great.
Iizuka: That’s thanks to Kohayakawa’s obsessive attention to detail. His background in arcade development really shines through here. We tuned things like handling, physics, and drift response up until the very last moment to make sure everything feels tight.
Q: What were the most difficult parts of development?
Iizuka: Technically, I imagine Taki and Kohayakawa faced a lot of challenges, but from my end, one hurdle was working from the US while the team was based in Japan. Navigating the time difference and maintaining smooth communication was tough. Still, we worked closely to define what kind of racing game would best represent SEGA and Sonic as a brand.
Q: Cross-platform play is a big feature. How are you ensuring a consistent experience across systems?
Iizuka: We’ve made sure there’s no difference. The arcade racing team has years of experience running online matches across networks throughout Japan. They’ve long been refining how to offer fair, synchronized multiplayer experiences — and that expertise really paid off here.
Q: That’s reassuring. The Initial D team’s experience clearly helped.
Iizuka: Absolutely. They meticulously adjusted everything to ensure that no matter the platform, players are competing on a level playing field.
Q: Finally, do you have a message for fans eagerly awaiting the game?
Iizuka: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launches on September 25. If you love racing, I truly believe this will offer more fun than any other title. And for Sonic fans, the character interactions are a major highlight.
In Grand Prix mode, rival characters will challenge you, and every combination has unique voice lines. Getting to hear your favorite characters interact during races is a huge part of the fun. In fact, we’ve recorded more character dialogue than any Sonic action game to date.
For fans of the series, I hope you’ll enjoy how much of Sonic’s charm we’ve packed into this game. Please look forward to it!
Q: Thank you so much!
Source: Famitsu
