2025 was a banner year for kart racing games, with a face-off between Mario Kart World and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.
At The Game Awards 2025, both games were nominated for the prestigious Best Sports / Racing category alongside F1 25, EA Sports FC 25 and Striker. Announced during the livestream ceremony, Mario Kart World was crowned the winner, beating its direct rival from Sega.
The winner was decided by a jury panel of media professionals and influencers, which accounts for 90% of the vote alongside a public vote.
A Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, Mario Kart World builds on the series’ established formula, with the introduction of a free roam mode, interconnecting tracks and a Knockout Tour battle royale mode.
Since it launched alongside the Switch 2, Nintendo’s kart racer has racked up 9.57 million sales, bolstered by the game also being sold as a bundle with the console.
Mario Kart World and Sonic: Racing CrossWorlds were also nominated for Best Family Game, but lost to Donkey Kong Bonanza.
This marks the seventh consecutive year a Formula 1 game has been nominated for the Best Sports/Racing category without winning.
This year’s Game Awards also featured several new racing game announcements, including the surprise unveiling of Star Wars Galactic Racer from former Burnout and Need for Speed developers at Fuse Games, and a new story trailer for Screamer, confirming a March 2026 release date.
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