Today, at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Sonic the Hedgehog was the star of his own panel. As expected, Team Sonic Racing took a center focus. We learned that the cars will have a robust customization process, and got to hear a new remix. Arguably, the most exciting announcement was Team Sonic Racing Overdrive, a two-part animation similar to the well-liked Sonic Mania Adventures.

As a surprise, SEGA debuted the first part of Overdrive for attendees at SXSW, and viewers at home. You can view Part One below. Part Two will be uploaded in late April.

Like Sonic Mania Adventures, there is no dialogue in Overdrive. Instead, the story is told through vibrant animation, and expressions. It’s a cool thing for fans, as this is the first official animation featuring modern Sonic in years. Sonic Mania Adventures features classic Sonic, and the Sonic Boom show is in its own continuity. The story for Overdrive is simple, but a lot of fun. From Knuckles jumping in to save Sonic from deadly car trouble, to Sonic and Shadow racing neck and neck, the animation is perfect for building anticipation for the game.

Team Sonic Racing was originally announced in May, 2018. It was a surprise, as SEGA had already delved into the kart genre in recent years with Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. Team Sonic Racing will instead focus solely on the Sonic cast. As the name implies, the game will focus on team aspects of racing.

The game was originally supposed to release in late 2018, but was delayed to this year. It is certainty anticipated, but can it make a dent in the racing genre? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch is still massively popular. Plus, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is releasing just one month after the Sonic title. The original Crash Team Racing is remembered fondly as being one of the few kart games that could compete with Mario Kart. Nitro-Fueled arguably stole some of Team Sonic Racing’s thunder when the Crash remake was announced back at The Game Awards. Time will tell if Team Sonic Racing will be the big racing hit of the year.

Team Sonic Racing will be zooming to PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on May 21st.