Sega reacted to the Mario Kart World news by pushing its own new racing game, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. The new Mario Kart game was teased when the Switch 2 was shown off in January, but only now did gamers see Mario Kart World in action during the Nintendo Direct.
Mario Kart World is now open-world, with big tracks and many paths. It has Free Roam mode, letting players wander around its bright areas. Mario's rival Sonic also has his own racing game coming, with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds set for release on many systems in 2025. Like Mario Kart, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds has its own gimmicks: special portals for racing different ways.
The reveal of Mario Kart World got a huge response from gamers, and Sega spoke about Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' top rival. Sonic's Twitter calls April 2 "a big day for worldly racing games," telling fans to get ready for "the ONLY upcoming kart racer you can play with friends around the world across all your favorite platforms" with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.
This comment takes a jab at Mario Kart Worlds being a Switch 2 exclusive, while Sonic Racing CrossWorlds will be on all game systems. Mario Kart World's $80 price was another issue, sparking backlash after it was shown in the Nintendo Direct. Many worry these steep costs could become the norm for games.
Mario Kart World is set to launch with the Switch 2 on June 5. There's no date for Sonic Racing: Cross-Worlds. Another Nintendo Direct is on April 17 to show more of Mario Kart World. The old fight between Nintendo and Sega is back with new racing games with their top characters, and only time will show which game wins.