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Team Sonic Racing is a 2019 kart racing game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. A spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2019. A simplified iOS version, developed by Hardlight and called Sonic Racing, was released via Apple Arcade in September 2019. The game was later released on Amazon Luna in March 2021.
Controlling one of 15 characters from the series' cast, players compete in races using sports cars. The gameplay is in third person, with players performing maneuvers, drifts, and collecting power-ups. Team Sonic Racing differs from traditional kart racing games by its focus on cooperative gameplay, similar to that found in Splatoon (2015) and Overwatch (2016) — players are part of a team of racers and win races through efficiency rather than speed. Game modes include competing to earn points, against the clock, customizing race rules, and a story-driven tutorial campaign.
Sumo Digital, which had previously worked on Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (2010) and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012), developed Team Sonic Racing. Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka conceived the cooperative gameplay, and Sumo Digital used the team-based racing game Sonic Heroes (2003) as a point of reference. Unlike Sumo Digital's previous racing games, Team Sonic Racing features only characters from the Sonic franchise, as the team wanted to expand the universe and cast of characters. The goal was to make the game stand out compared to other racing games, and development was done using a modified version of the All-Stars engine. Musician Jun Senoue, who hadn't contributed to a major Sonic game since Generations (2011), composed the soundtrack.
The existence of Team Sonic Racing came to light when a memo from Sumo Digital leaked in January 2018, with Sega confirming it in May of the following year. Its marketing campaign included appearances at gaming trade shows, a one-shot comic book published by IDW Publishing, and a two-part animated series. The game received mixed reviews; while its team-based gameplay, track design, and music were praised, both the story mode and voice acting were criticized. Many critics also considered it inferior to its predecessors, the Sega All-Stars games. A sequel, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, was released in 2025.
Controlling one of 15 characters from the series' cast, players compete in races using sports cars. The gameplay is in third person, with players performing maneuvers, drifts, and collecting power-ups. Team Sonic Racing differs from traditional kart racing games by its focus on cooperative gameplay, similar to that found in Splatoon (2015) and Overwatch (2016) — players are part of a team of racers and win races through efficiency rather than speed. Game modes include competing to earn points, against the clock, customizing race rules, and a story-driven tutorial campaign.
Sumo Digital, which had previously worked on Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (2010) and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012), developed Team Sonic Racing. Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka conceived the cooperative gameplay, and Sumo Digital used the team-based racing game Sonic Heroes (2003) as a point of reference. Unlike Sumo Digital's previous racing games, Team Sonic Racing features only characters from the Sonic franchise, as the team wanted to expand the universe and cast of characters. The goal was to make the game stand out compared to other racing games, and development was done using a modified version of the All-Stars engine. Musician Jun Senoue, who hadn't contributed to a major Sonic game since Generations (2011), composed the soundtrack.
The existence of Team Sonic Racing came to light when a memo from Sumo Digital leaked in January 2018, with Sega confirming it in May of the following year. Its marketing campaign included appearances at gaming trade shows, a one-shot comic book published by IDW Publishing, and a two-part animated series. The game received mixed reviews; while its team-based gameplay, track design, and music were praised, both the story mode and voice acting were criticized. Many critics also considered it inferior to its predecessors, the Sega All-Stars games. A sequel, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, was released in 2025.