Sonic Racing: CrossWorld’s Werehog pre-order bonus has some fans feeling less than pleased. Another Sonic the Hedgehog racing game is set to launch later this year, and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds promises a packed roster of heroes and villains from across Sega’s flagship platforming franchise. Even more playable racers will be added in post-launch DLC, with the first wave including crossovers with other games like Persona 5, Yakuza, and Minecraft.
There will also be a pair of pre-order bonuses for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, with one of them being Sonic’s Blue Star Extreme Gear hoverboard from the Sonic Riders series. The second is the Werehog from 2008’s Sonic Unleashed, which famously saw Sonic transform into a werewolf-like creature to stop the monstrous Dark Gaia from destroying the world. Included in the Werehog-centric pre-order pack is a special Beast Spike car for Sonic to drive while racing through Sonic Racing: CrossWorld’s dimension-hopping courses.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Shows Off Customization and Gadget Features
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds shows off the many different ways players can customize their vehicles, as well as the gadgets that can give them the edge.
While getting to play as the Werehog is a treat for Sonic Unleashed fans, some are questioning Sega’s decision to include this Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds pre-order content. According to Comicbook, many Twitter users are wondering why Sega didn’t simply include the Werehog and his vehicle in the base game, as most of the previously announced DLC is based on characters from other franchises. Some have even gone as far as to call the move “unacceptable for a $70 game.”
Sonic Racing: CrossWorld’s Werehog Has Fans Divided
Another point of contention is the lack of any voice acting for the Werehog, as demonstrated in past Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds gameplay clips. While the rest of the game’s base cast is fully voiced (and can talk to each other in pre-race interactions), the Werehog remains completely silent while collecting power-ups or jumping over ramps, without any new lines from current Sonic voice actor Roger Craig Smith or even recycled audio from Jason Griffith’s performance in Sonic Unleashed.
One Twitter user compared this to how Sonic X Shadow Generations had Keanu Reeves perform new dialogue as Shadow the Hedgehog for that particular game’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3-inspired DLC. Between Keanu Reeves being a much more expensive actor and Sonic X Shadow Generations’ presumably smaller budget than Sonic Racing: Cross Worlds, this has left many puzzled by Sega, which has yet to comment on any of these controversies. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is still set to launch across most major platforms on September 25, while a Nintendo Switch 2 version will reportedly be released at some point during the 2025 holiday season.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- September 25, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone / Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
WHERE TO PLAY
Race across land, sea, air, space, and time in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds!
Warp through Travel Rings into new dimensions where something new awaits around every twist and turn.
Speed to victory solo or as a team in a variety of offline and online modes and compete against players from around the world.
Build the ultimate machine to match your racing style, unlock gadgets to gain the upper hand, and unleash power-up items for the win!
- Prequel(s)
- Team Sonic Racing
- Franchise
- Sonic
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Action
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
