SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 7, 2026--
Nex, the company behind Nex Playground, the active Play system that gets families moving together, and SEGA ®, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment, today launched Sonic Forces Rival Rush™ on Nex Playground. Developed by SEGA’s HARDlight Studios, the team behind Sonic Forces™, Sonic Dash™, and Sonic DreamTeam™, the new motion-controlled arcade runner brings Sonic’s signature speed and competitive racing to the living room, allowing players to control the action through their own body movements.
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Sonic Forces Rival Rush brings the familiar thrill of Sonic racing to a new kind of gameplay, with players using body movement rather than traditional controllers to navigate each race. Players can collect rings, grab power-ups, dodge hazards, and race against friends, family, or bot rivals, creating a fast-paced experience that is easy for players to pick up while offering progression and replayability for longtime Sonic fans.
Designed for solo play or local two-player racing, Sonic Forces Rival Rush puts players directly into the action as they race through iconic Sonic environments. Key game features:
“There’s something incredibly nostalgic about bringing Sonic to Nex Playground. He’s a character that parents grew up with, and kids still love today, so we have this unique opportunity to introduce a game that feels familiar across generations in a completely new way,” said David Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of Nex. “With Sonic Forces Rival Rush, we wanted to preserve what makes Sonic instantly recognizable while rethinking how players can engage with that world. The result feels distinctly Sonic, but in a way that could only exist on Nex Playground.”
By combining responsive motion controls with familiar Sonic characters, environments, and power-ups, Sonic Forces Rival Rush captures the speed and energy people associate with Sonic while turning it into something the whole family can experience together.
“We’re thrilled to bring Sonic Forces Rival Rush to the interactive Nex Playground console and introduce this experience to a wider audience,” said Takashi Iizuka, Sonic Creative Officer at SEGA of America. “It’s been a pleasure working alongside the Nex team as well as the team at HARDlight Studios who have implemented their immense expertise throughout the process. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve created and cannot wait for fans to experience Sonic in a whole new way.”
Sonic Forces Rival Rush is available now on Nex Playground through Play Pass, Nex Playground’s content subscription, which offers access to a growing library of 60+ active games spanning sports, dance, fitness, educational experiences, and more. Play Pass is sold separately and can be added to Nex Playground at any time. To learn more, visit nexplayground.com.
About Nex
Nex is on a mission to connect families and friends through active play. Created by parents for parents, Nex combines technology and play to deliver fun, social, and interactive experiences powered by natural body motion. Its award-winning active play system, Nex Playground, is the only controller-free console built specifically for kids and families with safety and privacy at the core of its design. Nex Playground is kidSAFE+ COPPA compliant and a member of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) in the U.S. In the U.K., Nex Playground aligns with GDPR requirements, earning PEGI 3 age ratings on the included starter bundle. Motion-tracking data and processing stay local to the device, and every system includes a built-in camera cover.
Nex Playground with Play Pass features a growing catalog of 60+ active games, from sports to dance, fitness, and educational experiences, including Nex Originals and collaborations with partners such as Paramount, Hasbro, Sesame Workshop, and NBCUniversal. Nex has been recognized by Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, TIME’s Best Inventions, and Parents’ Best Entertainment System for Families, and has earned Red Dot, IDEA, and Core77 international design awards.
Nex Playground is available at Amazon, Best Buy®, Target®, Walmart®, Costco, Sam’s Club® , and TikTok Shop, online and select retail stores in the U.S. and Canada, and is available in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland at Amazon U.K., Argos, and Smyths Toys. To learn more, visit nexplayground.com or follow the company on Instagram and Facebook.
About SEGA
SEGA CORPORATION is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and is a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment. The company develops, publishes, and distributes a variety of games for consoles, PCs, and wireless devices as well as character products, and various other products. Moreover, SEGA distributes a range of gaming content developed by its domestic and overseas studios worldwide via its global publishing bases. SEGA is leveraging its own IP to accelerate the development and commercialization of its IP not only in games but also in various other media, thereby dramatically increasing the value of its IP. SEGA is positioning transmedia as an important strategy for providing new content to users around the world.
SEGA CORPORATION's website is located at https://www.sega.co.jp/
©SEGA. All rights reserved. SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. SEGA, the SEGA logo and SONIC FORCES RIVAL RUSH are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.
Sonic Forces Rival Rush Brings High-Energy Races to Nex Playground
Associated Press (AP) — Ana Beatriz Bon Raggio is not persuaded by either left-leaning Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva or far-right Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of the second round of the presidential election on Oct. 25.
“The right mixes religion and faith, whereas I think those things should be separate, while (Lula’s) Workers’ Party has robbed the country,” said Bon Raggio, a 19-year-old studying theater in Rio de Janeiro, while walking around a shopping mall in downtown Rio. “I’m very undecided.”
Her distrust is rooted in history: Bolsonaro is under investigation for corruption and Lula was jailed for 19 months on corruption and money laundering charges that were later annulled. Bolsonaro’s father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, is currently serving a 27-year sentence for planning a coup after his 2022 defeat to Lula.
As the second round nears, both Lula and Bolsonaro are hyperfocused on winning over undecided voters such as Bon Raggio, as well as those who voted for one of the eliminated candidates in the first round. More than 33 million, or 21% of the electorate, did not go to the polls on Sunday.
The abstention percentage is the highest since 1998 for a first round. First-round non-voting has been slowly increasing since 2006, according to data from Brazil’s electoral court. Not voting in Brazil incurs a small fine as participation is mandatory for literate citizens aged 18 to 70.
“Abstention of 20% isn’t ideal,” said the president of Brazil’s electoral court, Kassio Nunes Marques, after Sunday’s vote. “The idea is to intensify and perfect all the available mechanisms to diminish this percentage in the second round.”
Neither Lula nor Bolsonaro received more than 50% during the first round on Sunday, and will now face each other in the runoff scheduled for Oct. 25.
Bolsonaro has at least two advantages: He received 2 million more votes than Lula on Sunday and the candidates who placed third, fourth and fifth — Augusto Cury, Renan Santos and Ronaldo Caiado — are all on the right of the political spectrum. Caiado, who garnered around 2.6 million votes, endorsed Bolsonaro on Tuesday. Cury and Santos have said they will not support either candidate.
Nearly six million people cast a blank or spoiled vote — including Alexandre Moreira, a 21-year-old university student. Ahead of the second round, he is also undecided, though he's leaning toward Lula because he believes the incumbent is open-minded.
“But things are more expensive, and I’m feeling it,” said Moreira, who works three part-time jobs to earn a living while studying.
He pointed to the rising price of gasoline, which has increased from 5 reais ($1) a liter in January 2023 to 6.54 reais ($1.31) in September 2026, according to Brazil’s National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels.
On Sunday, many lined up to cast their vote wearing either red hats and T-shirts — signaling support for Lula’s party — or the yellow and green of the Brazilian flag traditionally used by Bolsonaro's movement, reflecting the polarization gripping the country.
But others feel alienated, misrepresented and worn out by the opposing political forces, said Carolina Almeida de Paula, a political scientist from Rio de Janeiro State University.
“We talk a lot about polarization in Brazil, but we forget the higher percentage of people who don’t like this fight,” she said.
Brazil’s polling agency Datafolha predicted around 11% of people were undecided ahead of the first round. Around the same time in 2022, the Datafolha poll found just 2% were undecided.
Meri Oliveira, 62, is among those who won’t vote for either candidate in three weeks’ time. “Flávio Bolsonaro is as corrupt as Lula,” said Oliveira.
Oliveira called the current president “the biggest thief in Brazil” and referred to his stint in prison. She also decried Jair Bolsonaro’s misogynist comments and his handling of the pandemic, during which more than 700,000 people died in Brazil — the second-highest toll after the U.S.
Getting people to participate in the second round is difficult, Almeida de Paula said, adding that this year’s election campaigns have been atypically subdued after several scandals.
“We could see more mobilization ahead of the second round, which could bring many more votes. That could mean increasing votes for Bolsonaro or allowing Lula to turn the election around,” she said.
Bon Raggio, the theater student, said that if the vote were tomorrow, she would probably cast a blank ballot.
“Brazil’s situation is complicated; I don’t think it’s a good idea for either of them to govern,” she said. “But I could still change my mind.”
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, addresses supporters after advancing to a presidential runoff following the first round in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Soldiers stand guard during general elections in Leblon beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)
Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro speaks after advancing to a runoff election following the first round of the presidential election in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
People walk past campaign flags of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, and opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, the day after the general election in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. The runoff election is set for Oct. 25. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
Voters line up at a polling station during general elections in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
