Mario Kart World's Sega-backed competitor, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, has hit impressive milestones shortly after its release, intensifying the rivalry between the two kart racing sims. While players and critics have long compared the franchises, their 2025 clash is particularly interesting due to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' new marketing approach.
In June 2025, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka threw shade at Mario Kart World by mocking its Nintendo Switch exclusivity. Iizuka claimed that, unlike "another kart racing game," Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds would support cross-platform play. This was just the beginning of direct jabs at Nintendo's beloved IP, as Sonic Team later released a commercial mocking Mario Kart World's free-roam mode.
Amid the rivalry between the two Japanese kart racing games, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launched on September 25 to a positive reception, with reviews on all platforms showing strong support from players. Developer Sonic Team's new game has also become one of Steam's bestsellers, suggesting potential financial success for Sega. As of this writing, the game has peaked at over 13,000 concurrent players on Steam alone (via SteamDB) and holds an average user score of "Overwhelmingly Positive." Critics have praised the game as well, giving it an average score of...
