SEGA Says Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Rewards Skill Over Luck, Aiming Beyond the “Party Game” Formula

The long-running rivalry between SEGA and Nintendo seems to be alive and well. With Mario Kart World launching alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this year and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds releasing last month, SEGA’s latest comments sound like a subtle jab at its old competitor’s formula.

In a new interview with Automaton, CrossWorlds creative director Masaru Kohayakawa explained that while SEGA’s new racer “may look like a party game on the outside,” it was built to reward skill and strategy rather than luck.

“We designed the system so that no item guarantees victory, and players always have a way to counter items,” Kohayakawa said. “The goal was to keep the fun and chaos of a party game, while ensuring that victory ultimately goes to players who think strategically and race skillfully, not just those who get lucky.”

Kohayakawa’s remarks echo SEGA’s playful pre-launch marketing, which teased players to “leave the open road behind” — a clear nod to Nintendo’s Mario Kart series. He also pointed out that many item-based racing games punish players in first place, discouraging competitiveness by making them constant targets for powerful attacks.

Mario Kart, for instance, is infamous for its blue shells and lightning strikes that specifically target the lead racer. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, however, introduces the Travel Ring mechanic, which allows the first-place player to choose which CrossWorld dimension the next lap will take place in. The system rewards smart racing and tactical foresight, letting skilled players maintain their advantage through decision-making rather than sheer luck.

To fine-tune the balance, SEGA’s arcade racing veterans — including staff from the Initial D series — conducted countless internal test matches, adjusting the mechanics until victory felt earned through performance, not random chance.

The result, according to Kohayakawa, is a racer that blends the unpredictability of party games with the precision of competitive racing — a game where strategy and skill determine who crosses the finish line first.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is available now for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. A digital edition for Nintendo Switch 2 and an upgrade path for current owners will arrive later this winter.

Stay tuned to Sonic City for more news and updates on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and future SEGA developments.