SEGA's Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds box art leak features NiGHTS as post-launch DLC character

Sega’s high-speed racing adventures with Sonic Racing: Crossworlds have revealed a new leak, putting fans into a frenzy. A new DLC rider has been leaked just weeks before the game’s release via pre-order box art.

The hype for the game went into overdrive with a Reddit discovery that may have accidentally unveiled some unrevealed surprise characters for its post-launch DLC lineup.

According to a post on the official r/SonicTheHedgehog subreddit by user Any_Skill_6710, the redditor shared a pre-order case for Sonic Racing: Crossworlds spotted in New Zealand, which portrayed artwork for the game showing some of the free DLC characters. This included Ichiban Kasuga from the Ryu Ga Gotoku’s Like A Dragon Series and Joker from Atlus’ Persona 5, who Sega has already announced.

Tucked among them in the box art was an unannounced racer, and it’s Nights, the dream-flying jester from 1996’s Sega Saturn classic NiGHTS into DREAMS.

Nights has made several cameos in many mainline and spin-off Sonic The Hedgehog games, including Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Battle, Sonic Riders and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, Sega Superstars, Sega Superstars: Tennis, and Sonic & All Stars Racing: Transformed.

Hype for Sega’s Sonic Racing: Crossworlds has been mounting ever since the game entered its open beta, officially called the Open Network Test, which ended on September 1, 2025, after running from August 29 till Labor Day Weekend. Players got to test out the game’s tracks, mechanics, and some of the initial crossovers like the Joker-themed festival from Persona 5.

The game will receive a playable demo in mid-September, giving some players a chance to get a taste of the game before its release on September 25, 2025. Early adopters will get the opportunity to play the game three days earlier, on September 22, via the Digital Deluxe Edition.

This leak is pretty much in line with subtle teasers in SEGA’s recent TailsTube webseries, which focused on a Sonic Racing: Crossworlds episode, where a NiGHTS-inspired vehicle makes a cameo.

Nights hasn’t seen a prominent role aside from cameo roles in Sega games, ever since its last mainline release in 2010’s NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams on the Nintendo Wii. But the character continues to enjoy DLC appearances in many of Sega’s spin-off titles.

Preorder Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds here