Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds keeps growing with fresh content, and its newest addition brings a familiar face from another SEGA classic. Crazy Taxi’s Axel is joining the roster, bringing his signature yellow taxi along for the ride. We got an early look at how this collaboration plays out before its official release, and here’s what players can expect now the DLC is live.

A Familiar Face With a Modern Look

Instead of using Axel’s original classic design, this version pulls from his updated appearance in the upcoming Crazy Taxi: World Tour. He keeps the same rebellious, street-style attitude fans remember, but his look has been given a more modern touch. Even surrounded by hedgehogs, foxes, and the usual cast of unusual racers, Axel still manages to stand out on the track.

Axel isn’t just along for the ride either. He has his own set of animations that show off his personality before races start, while using items, and after crossing the finish line. Even the way he sits behind the wheel gives off the impression that following traffic laws is the last thing on his mind.

Alongside Axel comes his exclusive vehicle, the Devolada Yellow Jack. As the name suggests, it takes clear inspiration from the iconic yellow taxi from the original Crazy Taxi games, but it has been redesigned to fit the faster, more high-energy racing style of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.

The car keeps its recognizable yellow body and taxi details, but it now has a lower, sharper shape with racing-inspired touches added throughout. Next to the game’s more futuristic and cartoonish vehicle designs, the Devolada Yellow Jack has its own distinct identity that makes its Crazy Taxi roots immediately obvious.

Gameplay Stays True to the Chaos

This update doesn’t add a passenger delivery mechanic or any other system tied to the original Crazy Taxi gameplay. Even without that feature, drifting around corners, bumping rivals out of the way, and blasting through Travel Rings while driving a yellow taxi still manages to capture that same chaotic energy the Crazy Taxi series is known for.

One of the biggest details about this collaboration is that Axel and the Devolada Yellow Jack are not locked behind a paid DLC pack. Both will be available through a free update, meaning anyone who already owns Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds can add the new racer and his car to their roster at no extra cost.

A Small but Fitting Addition

The Crazy Taxi collaboration doesn’t bring any complicated new systems or mechanics to the table. Instead, it keeps things focused on what people already associate with the franchise, namely Axel, his yellow taxi, and his over-the-top personality shown through his animations. While the update is relatively small in scale, it still manages to bring that reckless Crazy Taxi attitude into Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, giving players another reason to jump back into the game.

For longtime fans of the series, getting to race across different worlds in the classic yellow taxi is already a solid reason to check out the update. New players, meanwhile, get an early introduction to the updated Axel ahead of his appearance in Crazy Taxi: World Tour. Once the update arrives, it’ll be time to hit the gas and see who can be the most reckless taxi driver on the track.