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

Sega has confirmed that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will keep adding free guest characters in its second year, and the first Year Two racer is Bayonetta. The free update adds Bayonetta as a playable character along with her Butterfly Witch machine and special emotes and sounds. Sega has not yet given an exact release date for the update.

How Year One worked

CrossWorlds launched in September 2025 and is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. Since launch, Sega has added 13 free characters drawn from its own properties, released at roughly monthly intervals. They included Ichiban Kasuga from Like a Dragon, Tangle and Whisper from IDW’s Sonic comics, and Classic Sonic.

Alongside the free additions, Sega sold paid DLC packs built around crossovers, featuring SpongeBob SquarePants, Pac-Man, Mega Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The sixth and final Year One paid pack, based on Avatar: The Last Airbender, arrives in October. With the Year Two announcement, Sega has now rebranded the first year’s content as “Year One.”

Year Two roadmap

Year Two follows the same structure: free characters from Sega’s catalogue, plus six planned paid packs. Bayonetta leads the free side, described in Sega’s announcement as bringing “her signature non-stop action to the racetrack.”

Two of the paid packs have been detailed. The Godzilla Pack adds a Godzilla Escape course and three machines: the Godzilla Cruiser, King Ghidorah Coupe and Mothra Surf. The Evangelion Pack adds a Tokyo-III course, three EVA units as machines, and Rei Ayanami and Asuka Shikinami Langley as playable racers. Sega first previewed the Godzilla and Evangelion collaborations during Summer Game Fest.

More Year Two details are set to be announced during the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds World Championship Finals and Year Two Showcase livestream on October 9.

How to get the free characters

Free characters are delivered through game updates and free downloads on each platform’s store, so players only need to own the base game and keep it updated. Paid packs are sold separately or as part of season-style bundles, depending on platform.

Why it matters

A steady flow of free characters keeps the game fresh for players who do not want to buy every DLC pack, and extending that commitment into a second year is a strong sign of continued support. It also gives Sega a way to promote its wider catalogue, from Like a Dragon to Bayonetta.

CrossWorlds has carved out a space as a traditional track-based kart racer, especially since Mario Kart World moved Nintendo’s series toward open-world design. For players choosing between them, Year Two’s mix of free and paid content makes CrossWorlds a more attractive long-term option. The October 9 showcase is the next date to watch for Bayonetta’s release timing.