Sega has officially revealed the release date for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds‘ upcoming crossover with the Yakuza franchise, with protagonist Ichiban Kasuga joining the game in early November. The newest entry in the racing franchise centered around Sega’s most iconic mascot has broken new ground for the series, with a wide variety of crossover characters joining the game. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has already teased appearances from characters like Pac-Man, Mega Man, and SpongeBob SquarePants among several others as guest characters. Now, another beloved Sega franchise is gearing up to hit the racetrack.
While Sonic the Hedgehog has long stood as Sega’s flagship franchise, recent years have seen the Yakuza franchise achieve worldwide success for the developer. The action-adventure series centered around Japanese gangsters has grown into one of Sega’s biggest properties, with the most recent main-series game, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, nominated for “Best RPG” at the 2024 Game Awards. The series has even received its own spinoff games, like the Majima-focused Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Like a Dragon: Ishin! taking the franchise into feudal Japan. However, a new crossover will now see Ichiban Kasuga racing alongside Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sega officially confirmed the release date for the addition of the Yakuza DLC to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds earlier today. The news was made official on a livestream from Ryu ga Gotoku Studio, confirming that Ichiban Kasuga will be added to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds on November 6. The presentation not only showcased Ichiban’s inclusion in Sonic Racing, but also showed off his unique vehicle, decals, and a special nameplate. The release of Ichiban will be joined by a Yakuza-themed festival coming to CrossWorlds, set to launch the day after on November 7.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Confirms Ichiban Kasuga Release Date
- Ichiban Kasuga joins Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds on November 6.
- A Yakuza-themed festival will begin on November 7.
Ichiban Kasuga’s presence in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds came as one of the most surprising additions from a cast filled with unexpected crossovers. Alongside the previously-mentioned SpongeBob content, Minecraft featured a trio of guest characters in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, with protagonists Steve and Alex and even a Creeper available to play. CrossWorlds also introduced another crossover DLC to the game earlier this month, with Persona 5‘s Joker becoming playable alongside a Persona-themed festival of his own.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds looks to keep the collaborations coming with lots more planned throughout the rest of 2025 and into 2026. Beyond the Pac-Man and Mega Man crossovers in early 2026, Sega has also teased collaborations with TMNT in the Spring and Avatar the Last Airbender in Summer 2026. Series producer Takashi Iizuka even posed the question of future Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds DLC to fans, suggesting that the studio is open to a second, and even a third, year of DLC for the game. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds should bring lots to the table for fans with a variety of exciting DLC expansions coming in the near future.
