Takashi Iizuka Says Mario Kart World Has No Influence on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

With Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds racing onto PC and consoles on September 25, 2025, and a Nintendo Switch 2 version coming later this year, Sega’s latest kart racer is set to go head-to-head with Nintendo’s Mario Kart World. The timing has created the biggest Mario vs. Sonic showdown in years, but according to Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka, Mario’s newest entry has had no influence on Sonic’s game.

Speaking to Traxion at gamescom, Iizuka admitted that the reveal of Mario Kart World caught Sega off guard. “Of course, we don’t know the road map of Mario Kart titles. So, when it was announced, the dev team was surprised about it,” he said. “However, typically when Nintendo releases new hardware, it’s pretty common that they also release a new karting title. So, the dev team was somewhat expecting a new Mario Kart to be released soon.”

Despite the surprise, Iizuka made it clear that Sega’s direction for CrossWorlds never wavered. “Whether or not Mario Kart was going to be released, our goal was to develop the best kind of Sonic racing title. That hasn’t changed. Mario Kart World won’t have any influence.”

Where CrossWorlds sets itself apart is in its signature Travel Ring mechanic, which allows players to seamlessly transport into new environments mid-race. After the first lap, the lead racer chooses which CrossWorld to enter, ensuring every race unfolds differently. Iizuka explained that this idea was inspired partly by the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, where Sonic uses rings to travel between worlds, and partly by the giant warp rings from the original 1991 game.

The new racer also leans heavily into crossovers. While Mario Kart World sticks to the Super Mario cast, Sega’s title introduces a wide mix of characters including Sega icons like Ichiban Kasuga and Joker, as well as cross-media stars such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Pac-Man, with more to come in the Season Pass. “We were thinking about other ways we could surprise players,” Iizuka said. “So we thought, why don’t we have characters from other IPs as well?”

Another major difference comes from vehicle customization and gadgets. Players can swap out parts and equip offensive or defensive gadgets, creating strategic options Mario Kart doesn’t offer. Combined with full cross-platform play across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, CrossWorlds aims to connect players worldwide, no matter what system they’re on.

Sega is confident these features will make Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds stand out when it launches later this month. Fans who pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition will gain early access on September 22, while the Nintendo Switch 2 version is set to arrive later in the year.

Stay tuned to Sonic City for more Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds News and Updates!