Team Sonic Racing

Team Sonic Racing is an upcoming spin-off kart racing video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It was first teased at SXSW 2018, and is scheduled for a release during the holidays of 2018. It will receive both a physical and digital release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, and a digital-only release for the PC.

Said to combine the best elements of arcade and fast-paced competitive style racing, Team Sonic Racing has the player face-off with friends in intense multiplayer racing.

History
Team Sonic Racing is being developed by Sumo Digital and will be published by Sega for the PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It will be the studio's third racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, following Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (2010) and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012).

Promotion
Rumors of a new Sonic-themed racing game arose in January 2018 when an internal Sumo Digital memo leaked, containing information on an "unannounced karting game" for an "established global IP". Their history with Sonic caused speculation that they were developing a new entry in the Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing series. This was rejected by Sega's community manager Aaron Webber, who stated "saw rumors floating today about another SART game. Just wanted to confirm it's not a thing!" Despite his response, multiple toy production companies alluded to a future Sonic kart racing game in February 2018. In early February, a representative from Zappies, reported at the Spielwarenmesse toy fair in Nuremberg, that a third Sonic kart racing game was in development, and that the company was planning on making toy figures for the game. Similarly, later in the month, a separate toy company, Diamond Select Toys, also alluded to 2018 toys based off of a Sonic racing video game entry. Multiple journalists noted that Webber's comments may have just alluded to the Sega All-Stars name and that he did not discount the premise of a new Sonic racing game, and further rumors of a game without any other Sega IPs involved arose in the same month.

A Sonic related announcement was scheduled for 16 March 2018 at the SXSW convention. The game was not announced at that time, but a trailer on the Sonic social media accounts teased a new racing game on that same day. In May 2018, Webber stated that Sega would announce more information on the game being teased in the trailer "soon".

On 29 May 2018, the name Team Sonic Racing was leaked by an online retail listing from Wikipedia. Shortly after the leak, Sega confirmed the game was real and announced it would release on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in the fourth quarter of 2018. A demo version will be playable at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018.

Gameplay
Team Sonic Racing is a kart racing video game featuring the cast of the Sonic the Hedgehog series competing in races in sports cars. Here, players race against each other in multiplayer racing using fifteen characters from across the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Akin to Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, characters race through various race circuits themed on different locations in the Sonic series and collect power-ups to boost their speed or hamper their opponents. Some of the power-ups include fourteen different kinds of Wisps (a recurring power-up in the Sonic series), which can be used both defensively and offensively against rivals. Players are also given the opportunity to customize their racing style, having the freedom to choose between three distinct character types (Speed, Technique, and Power). The game will also feature unlockable game-changing vehicle customization options that adjust the performance and appearance of a playable character's vehicle.

Supporting both multiplayer and local co-op, Team Sonic Racing allows up to twelve players to race at the same time and offers four-player split-screen support. The game also has various offline/online race modes, including Grand Prix Mode, Exhibition Mode, Time-Trial and Team Adventure Mode. There is also "Adventure Mode", which is a story-centric mode available for players to familiarize themselves with the game and its wide array of characters.

Players can either race by themselves or as a team. In the latter case, it allows players to work together as a team to win races by sharing power-ups and speed boosts. Teamplayers can also use various team moves to assist their teammates, knock out opponents, and unleash special moves called "Team Ultimates".

Playable characters

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Rouge the Bat
 * E-123 Omega
 * Egg Pawn

Non-playable characters

 * Chao
 * Dark Chao
 * Hero Chao
 * Neutral Chao
 * Omochao
 * Wisp
 * White Wisp
 * Black Wisp
 * Blue Wisp
 * Crimson Wisp
 * Orange Wisp

Trivia

 * In the logo, there is an R symbol at the beginning of the "Racing" name which resembles the one in the game title for Sonic R.
 * This game marks the first time that the Egg Pawn is a playable character.

Videos
Teaser trailer = Reveal trailer =