Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Playfully Calls Out Mario Kart in New Trailer Ahead of Launch
SEGA has released a cheeky new trailer for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, its upcoming kart racer launching on September 25, 2025. With a demo set to drop tomorrow, September 17, the trailer leans into playful rivalry with Nintendo’s Mario Kart, calling back to the classic SEGA vs. Nintendo days.
“Come Race on Our Level”
The trailer, titled “Come Race on Our Level”, begins by showing a blurred image of Mario Kart with the narrator saying:
“We all know that kart racing game. It’s great. We don’t need to show it to you.”
The narrator then pivots, asking players what it would be like to “race on a whole other level” as gameplay footage of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds kicks in.
Later in the trailer, SEGA takes another jab, this time seemingly directed at Mario Kart World. After listing gameplay features in CrossWorlds, the trailer ends with the line:
“Or, what if you want to roam around on the open road?”
The trailer highlights several features for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, including:
Fast-paced kart racing action with Sonic and friends
Expanded gameplay mechanics beyond standard track racing
An open-road exploration element designed to differentiate it from Mario Kart
A free, single-player demo for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will be arriving Wednesday, September 17 at 12:01AM (ET)!
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) September 10, 2025
Now's your chance to try out the game ahead of its official release! pic.twitter.com/t1ItHIcRiP
The game will be available on all platforms, with a demo going live across all systems tomorrow.
While the playful digs at Mario Kart are all in good fun, the trailer taps into nostalgia for the classic SEGA vs. Nintendo rivalry of the 80s and 90s. Now, decades later, fans will soon be able to see if SEGA’s latest attempt to challenge Nintendo on the kart racing track can hold its own.
Do you think Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has what it takes to rival Mario Kart, or is Nintendo’s kart franchise still untouchable?
