Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds‘ street date has reportedly been broken by some retailers, and the physical copies getting into fans’ hands seemingly confirm what’s coming up in the upcoming DLC via a leaflet nestled inside — including one character we didn’t yet know about: Mega Man.
Sega had said CrossWorlds would feature a huge roster of playable characters, both in the base game and additional DLC. Characters you’d expect to see, such as Sonic, Dr. Eggman, Knuckles, Shadow, and Tails are present and correct, but now you can also expect the likes of SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
What we didn’t know was that an additional Mega Man DLC would also be included in the Season Pass, but that seems to be exactly what the images popping up on social media are telling us.
What the leaflet doesn’t reveal is when we can expect to play, committing only to a broad “coming soon” window. But as we already knew that additional content from fan-favorite franchises like Minecraft and the inimitable SpongeBob Squarepants are coming in October and November, respectively, it’s possible the DLC logos have been listed in order, which could suggest we’ll see the Mega Man DLC ahead of TMNT and Avatar Legends, possibly in January if its a monthly schedule.
CrossWorlds is, of course, going up against Switch 2 exclusive kart game Mario Kart World, which has so far resisted adding guest characters from outside Nintendo’s portfolio. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is due out on both the Switch and the Switch 2, so it looks like fans are getting some old-fashioned Mario vs. Sonic rivalry when Sega’s effort launches later this month.
In fact, Sega reignited its old rivalry with Nintendo in a spicy trailer for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds that doesn’t hold back on its comparisons just this week, and revealed it will be sold as a physical Nintendo Switch game with the “full base game” included on a 64GB cartridge.
Meanwhile, Sonic Stadium said NiGHTS may be in the game, based on an image on the back of the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds game box. NiGHTS is of course from Sonic Team’s 1996 Sega Saturn game Nights into Dreams, and many other Sega games since.
Our source was also able to help us confirm that NiGHTS on the back of the box is 100% real: pic.twitter.com/sFmHTzV50P
— The Sonic Stadium ✪ 25 YEARS OF SONIC NEWS (@sonicstadium) September 18, 2025
We thought Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds was ‘Amazing,’ awarding it 9/10 in IGN’s review, writing: “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds fires on all cylinders with a fantastic roster, excellent courses, and lengthy list of customization options.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
