Sega icon Sonic The Hedgehog and Pac-Man are coming together for crossovers in two separate games, as announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live.
While there was a time when the idea of Sonic sharing the screen with other gaming mascots like Mario was unthinkable, those walls between game companies have now become a relic of the past.
Sega’s blue hedgehog notably teamed up with Nintendo for the Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games series, but he’s also popped up in Minecraft, Fall Guys, Lego Dimensions, and many other titles beyond his own universe.
As announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live, Sonic is now joining forces with another classic gaming icon in a double crossover.
The character in question is Bandai Namco’s Pac-Man, who is set to appear in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds as part of the title’s season pass. The Pac-Man DLC is slated to launch in early 2026, with the season pass also set to include characters from Minecraft, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar Legends.
Along with Pac-Man and the ghosts being playable characters in the DLC, there’ll also be a track inspired by the franchise.
In return, Sonic is making a DLC appearance in Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac, a remake of the Pac-Man World sequel originally released in 2002.
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The Sonic-themed DLC will add a Green Hill Zone-inspired stage to the remake, along with a Sonic costume for Pac-Man. Two other Sonic-themed levels are also planned, with the DLC set to release in late 2025.
As for why this crossover is happening, it appears to be some brand synergy with the game’s release dates. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is coming out on September 25, while Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is launching a day later on September 26, 2025.
This isn’t the first time Sonic and Pac-Man have butted heads. Both characters are playable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which includes other crossover characters like Metal Gear Solid’s Snake, Banjo & Kazooie, and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy.
If you want to try Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds early, an open network test is set to run from August 29 to September 1, 2025. This will be available to all players across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
As for what else happened at Gamescom Opening Night Live, you can check out a rundown of the best trailers here.
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