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![[EXCLUSIVE] Beyond Speed: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Developers on Creating Tracks for Multiple Worlds and Platforms](https://cdn.gamerbraves.com/2025/09/Sonic-Racing-CrossWorlds-Email_Interview_FI.jpg)
The high-speed world of Sonic racing is about to get a major upgrade. With Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds on the horizon, fans are eager to learn what makes this latest entry different from previous racing titles in the franchise. We had the exclusive opportunity to conduct an in-depth email interview with Creative Director Masaru Kohayakawa and Producer Ryuichi Taki to discuss the game’s ambitious crossover concept, innovative design choices, and the challenges of bringing multiple beloved franchises together under one roof.
From reimagining classic Sonic stages as modern racetracks to collaborating with major IPs like Minecraft and Nickelodeon properties, CrossWorlds represents a bold new direction for the series. Here’s what the development team had to say about creating their most ambitious racing game yet.
Music and Stage Design
One of the most interesting aspects of Sonic games has always been their memorable soundtracks. Given the franchise’s reputation for stage-defining music, we wondered if any circuits in CrossWorlds started with a finished soundtrack, building the track design around the composition.
“In this title, circuits are either created first or developed simultaneously with a set concept, so there are no examples of stages designed starting from the music,” the development team explained.
“Our approach is to compose the music in order to best express the gameplay experience we are aiming to deliver.”
Reimagining Classic Sonic Elements
Bringing classic Sonic stages into a racing context presents unique challenges. The team had specific design goals beyond simple nostalgia when adapting these iconic locations.
“While loops are an iconic element of Sonic titles, implementing them as-is would not necessarily feel fun in a racing game,” the developers noted. They pointed to the “Ocean View” circuit as an example of their solution: “We took on the challenge of creating a new type of loop structure by softening the curvature, so that it could be enjoyed within the context of a racing game.”
The team also worked to maintain Sonic’s action game roots within the racing framework.
“Since Sonic games are also action games where players battle enemies, we incorporated elements that evoke those confrontations and action set pieces in a way that makes sense as part of a racing experience.”
Learning from Past Racing Games
Experience from earlier Sonic racing titles helped shape CrossWorlds’ design philosophy. The team was deliberate about avoiding certain pitfalls from previous games in the series.
“For this title, since we placed strong emphasis on ‘competing against other people,’ we eliminated course designs that reduce player interaction, crashes caused by being attacked, and penalties that excessively magnify skill differences,” the team shared.
“Instead, we redesigned the game so that races naturally generate frequent interaction and strategic back-and-forth among players.”
The Metal Harbor course demonstrates their design philosophy in practice. “When the track splits between land and air routes, drivers in the sky can still see the machines racing below,” the developers explained.
“That sense of shared presence was something we were always mindful of during development.”
Bringing Different Worlds Together
One of CrossWorlds’ biggest draws is its collaboration with other major franchises. Each partnership brought unique design challenges and opportunities for creative expression.
For the Minecraft collaboration, the developers wanted to capture the game’s signature scale and variety. “We designed the track to reflect the vastness of its world, taking players underground, into the skies, and even to The End,” they explained.
The SpongeBob course drew from the animated series’ most recognizable moments, with the team incorporating “nods to memorable scenes from the show, such as surfing and volcanic eruptions, alongside various other situations drawn from the series.”
The attention to detail extends beyond just track design. “We also included features like changing the result screen’s BGM and sound effects depending on the character being used,” the developers noted.
“These kinds of touches were implemented to fully capture the charm and atmosphere of each collaboration IP.”
When asked about which collaboration proved most challenging: “For every collaboration, we put in the maximum effort to create a world that feels true to the original work. In fact, we became so committed to getting the details right that every single one ended up being a major challenge to realize. If players can sense even a little of the care and passion we put into these designs, that would make us very happy.”
Drawing Inspiration from Multiple Sources
The game’s core concept draws from various sources, including recent Sonic media. “The idea of traveling through a ring to reach another world for the second lap was inspired by the Sonic the Hedgehog movie,” the developers revealed.
This connection represents what they see as part of the franchise’s evolution: “The concept of using rings as gateways to other worlds has always existed in Sonic titles, and the movie expanded on that, which we then reinterpreted back into the game. In that sense, it’s a cycle that reflects Sonic’s growth as an IP.”
The multiverse concept felt like a natural fit for the franchise. “Sonic games have inherently featured a wide range of titles and settings that together form a kind of multiverse, so incorporating that element into this project felt like a very natural step.”
The Nickelodeon Partnership
The collaboration with multiple Nickelodeon properties came through careful consideration across different markets. “Since the Sonic IP is a globally recognized brand, the development team, together with marketing teams from various regions, carefully considered potential collaborators based on information from around the world. SEGA then approached and finalized these collaborations.”
The team expressed satisfaction with how the partnership developed: “We are very pleased that, with aligned regions and timing, we were able to establish a close partnership with Nickelodeon, allowing multiple of their globally popular properties to be featured in the game.”
Ensuring Fair Play Across Platforms
With CrossWorlds releasing across multiple platforms, maintaining fairness between different systems was a key priority. The development team worked to ensure no player feels disadvantaged regardless of their platform choice.
“Our top priority was ensuring that players feel no sense of unfairness, regardless of the platform they’re playing on,” they emphasized.
The technical challenges were significant: “The differences in specs across the supported platforms are significant, and in many ways the underlying design is almost entirely different between them. Despite this, we worked extremely hard to make it feel as though everyone is playing the same game.”
The team’s approach was so thorough that they prefer not to highlight any platform-specific features. “Therefore, we can only say that we ‘strived to make differences unnoticeable,’ and we hope that no concrete examples are discovered,” they concluded, adding with apparent good humor: “We take requests for examples as a compliment.”
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds represents an ambitious attempt to bring together multiple beloved franchises while maintaining the core appeal of Sonic’s high-speed gameplay.
From the careful adaptation of classic elements to the thoughtful integration of collaborating IPs, the development team’s responses reveal their commitment to player experience and franchise authenticity. Racing fans and franchise enthusiasts will soon discover what this crossover approach delivers when the game releases. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is set to release on September 25, with a free demo currently available for players to experience the multiverse racing action firsthand.
