SYBO and Hipster Whale announced recently that their two popular mobile titles, Subway Surfer and Crossy Road (respectively) have crossed over as part of a special event. The titles shared characters, limited-time events and rewards for their respective fanbases, a first-of-its-kind event for two of the most popular mobile games in the world. So how did the two games come together?
The crossover lasted for three weeks, with Crossy Road getting a Subway Surfers-themed world with Jake, Tricky and other Subway Surfers characters; and Subway Surfers got a limited Crossy Road-themed event with rewards such as fowl costumes for Jake and Tricky. The event was free to players on both apps.
GamesBeat spoke with SYBO CMO Phil Hickey about the crossover, and he noted that this is part of Subway Surfer’s strategy of content updates for its dedicated gamers. “As two of the more nostalgic, beloved games in mobile game history, I think we both have a huge fan base of past, present and future that would enjoy the experience. For each company, we create content continually, and it’s a great piece of content. It helps get eyeballs, and helps with user acquisition, retention and engagement.”
Mobile gaming culture and popularity
Mobile gaming has often been greenhouse for micro-trends in gaming — different kinds of games will rise in popularity and just as quickly fall out of favor. But Subway Surfer and Crossy Road have both enjoyed long-term popularity, being 13- and 11-years-old, respectively. Subway Surfers, for example, was the most popular arcade runner in the world, according to Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2025 report.
Mathias Gredal Nørvig, SYBO CEO, said in a statement, “When you think about the most iconic mobile games of the last decade, Subway Surfers and Crossy Road often go hand-in-hand. Throughout Subway Surfers’ 13th year, we’ve been reflecting on other mobile games that have helped shape modern culture, and Crossy Road is one we admire. We hope our collective playerbase finds joy in the nostalgia of our universes colliding and Subway Surfers’ first-ever game collaboration.”
Hickey added, “The mobile industry is very competitive right now, and you’re not just competing against other mobile games. You’re competing against all forms of entertainment, especially on mobile as the main family screen has gone away, and everyone has their own screens. That’s why we try and be as creative as we can be, and keep putting out amazing content that the fans like… We’ve built a really big community of near 30 million people across different platforms and create content that also keeps them engaged when they’re not playing the game.”
Clara Reeves, Hipster Whale CEO, said of the two games’ crossing over, “For the past decade, both Subway Surfers and Crossy Road have delighted many of the same players around the globe with their engaging gameplay, distinct styles, and beloved characters. This crossover has been long-requested by both our communities, and it’s been a wonderful experience working with SYBO to bring it to life – we hope players love seeing these two iconic universes come together as much as we’ve loved creating it.”
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