Persona 5's Joker joins Sonic Racing CrossWorlds as free DLC

Sega added Joker, the protagonist of Persona 5, to Sonic Racing CrossWorlds as a free downloadable character on October 22, and launched a limited-time Joker Festival beginning October 23 that will run through October 26, the company said. The update includes the Joker driver, the Arsène Wing vehicle, three Joker-themed jukebox tracks and new emotes and sounds, and the festival will let players earn themed rewards by competing in online races.

Sonic Racing CrossWorlds has proved an early commercial success for Sega since its late September debut, selling more than one million copies worldwide, the publisher reported. Players have completed tens of millions of races across game modes, statistics show, and reviews have been generally positive, with critics praising the title as a solid, traditional kart racer with satisfying handling and strong postlaunch support.

The Joker content continues a pattern of guest crossover characters in CrossWorlds. Hatsune Miku joined the roster at launch via a festival event, and Sega has signaled more guest characters are planned. Series producer Takashi Iizuka said the development team is monitoring player engagement and feedback and could extend...