Building friendships in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds isn't just about racing alongside your favorite characters—it's about unlocking some of the game's most exclusive cosmetic rewards. From special titles that showcase your dedication to unique AI racer skins, the friendship system offers serious long-term progression for dedicated players. Here's everything you need to know about maximizing your friendship rewards.
How to Unlock the Friendship System
You can't access friendships right from the start. The system only becomes available after you complete all seven main Grand Prix events. This means finishing every cup across all available speed levels, which serves as the game's way of ensuring you've mastered the core racing mechanics before diving into this endgame content.
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Once you've cleared those seven Grand Prix, the friendship menu will appear in your main hub. From here, you can start investing your hard-earned Donpa Tickets into building relationships with any character on the roster.
important
Completing Grand Prix on higher speed levels automatically marks lower speeds as complete, so focus on mastering Super Sonic Speed to efficiently unlock the friendship system.
Understanding Friendship Progression
The friendship system operates on a leveling structure where each character has multiple friendship tiers. Here's what we know about the progression:
The ticket costs increase dramatically as you progress, with some characters requiring thousands of tickets for their highest-tier rewards. Blaze's Level 5 friendship, for example, costs a whopping 7,000 tickets and unlocks the special title "Guardian of the Sol Emeralds".
Types of Friendship Rewards
Titles and Title Cards
The most common friendship rewards are titles that appear next to your name in races and menus. Early friendship levels typically grant basic rectangular titles, while higher levels unlock more elaborate designs with special formatting and visual effects.
Character Stickers
Stickers serve as decals you can place on your vehicle for customization. Level 2 friendships usually unlock basic character stickers, while Level 3 often provides more visually impressive versions of the same character.
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AI Racer Skins
One of the most sought-after rewards is the AI racer skin for each character. These holographic-style skins completely change your character's appearance and are considered the ultimate friendship reward for most racers.
Race Park Skins
Some friendships unlock exclusive Race Park skins that modify your character's appearance specifically in the Race Park hub area, adding another layer of visual customization.
Strategic Ticket Investment
With friendship rewards costing thousands of tickets, you need a smart investment strategy:
Focus on Your Main Character
Rather than spreading tickets across multiple characters, concentrate on maxing out friendships with your most-played racers first. This ensures you get the best visual rewards for the character you'll see most often.
Prioritize Special Titles
If you're after prestige items, aim for the Level 5 special titles like "Guardian of the Sol Emeralds". These take significant investment but showcase your dedication to other players.
tip
The friendship system doesn't affect how AI characters treat you in races—it's purely cosmetic progression.
Consider Long-term Goals
Some players report that friendship progression continues beyond Level 5, though specific rewards for higher levels remain unclear. Budget your tickets accordingly if you're planning for maximum progression.
Efficient Ticket Farming for Friendships
Since friendships require massive ticket investments, efficient farming becomes crucial:
Grand Prix Completion
Each Grand Prix victory nets you substantial ticket rewards. Focus on completing cups you haven't finished yet for the biggest payouts.
Daily Racing
Consistent daily play ensures steady ticket income through various race modes and challenges.
Red Star Token Collection
Collecting all five Red Star Tokens in a single race provides bonus tickets, though this requires memorizing token locations across different tracks.
Character-Specific Friendship Insights
Cream the Rabbit
Players report that Cream's friendship progression follows the standard pattern: basic title at Level 1, character sticker at Level 2, and an enhanced sticker design at Level 3 that's significantly more appealing than the Level 2 version.
Blaze the Cat
Blaze offers one of the most expensive but rewarding friendship paths, with her Level 5 "Guardian of the Sol Emeralds" title being among the most prestigious in the game.
Popular Characters
Since many streamers and dedicated players have already unlocked AI racer skins for their favorite characters, expect competition for showing off these exclusive cosmetics in online races.
Maximizing Your Friendship Experience
Set Realistic Goals
With some friendships requiring 10,000+ total tickets, set achievable milestones rather than trying to max everything immediately.
Track Your Progress
The game doesn't provide a comprehensive friendship roadmap, so keep mental notes of which characters you're prioritizing and their current levels.
warning
There's currently no way to preview higher-level friendship rewards before unlocking them, so choose your investments carefully.
Plan for Future Content
With additional Grand Prix events planned as timed releases, more friendship content may become available. Consider saving some tickets for potential new characters or expanded friendship trees.
The friendship system in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds represents hundreds of hours of potential progression for completionist players. While the ticket costs are steep, the exclusive cosmetics and titles provide meaningful ways to showcase your dedication and customize your racing experience. Focus on your favorite characters, budget your tickets wisely, and enjoy the long-term journey toward complete friendship mastery.
For more Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, check out our guide on How to Unlock Everything.