Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Keeping Free Characters in Year Two, Starting with Bayonetta

Sega has confirmed that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will continue its monthly rollout of free guest characters into the game’s second year, with Bayonetta announced as the first new racer to arrive.

The racing title, which rebranded its post-launch content as “Year One” following the Year Two announcement, has shipped 13 free characters from Sega properties since its release. Bayonetta will headline the second wave of free additions, described in the official announcement as bringing “her signature non-stop action to the racetrack.”

Free Content Keeps Coming

Sega’s strategy of pairing monthly free tier-one guest characters with premium DLC packs—featuring crossovers from SpongeBob SquarePants, Pac-Man, Mega Man, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—appears to be working well enough to justify extending the model. The sixth and final Year One paid DLC pack, based on Avatar: The Last Airbender, arrives in October.

Year One’s free roster included Ichiban Kasuga from Like a Dragon, characters from the IDW Sonic comic series (Tangle and Whisper), and Classic Sonic, each arriving at monthly intervals to cross-promote Sega’s broader IP lineup.

Year Two: Godzilla and Evangelion Lead Paid Content

While the free character cadence continues, Sega revealed during Summer Game Fest that Year Two’s six planned paid DLC packs will be anchored by Godzilla and Evangelion collaborations, with Bayonetta marking the entry point for free additions.

For players evaluating their karting options, CrossWorlds has carved out a niche as a traditionally-styled racer—a distinction sharpened by Nintendo’s shift toward open-world design in Mario Kart World. The sustained commitment to both free and premium content suggests Sega intends to maintain competitive momentum in that space.