Mario Kart World officially revealed
Today's Nintendo Switch 2 Direct started with the reveal of Mario Kart World, the latest in the popular racing game that will take the series to an open world.
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We now live in a post-Nintendo Switch 2 Direct world. new Mario Kart was originally shown in the January reveal trailer but did not have an official title until now. Now we know that Mario Kart World will be a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2 launching in June.
Mario Kart World will launch alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 in June
Mario Kart 8 and Deluxe have collectively sold over seventy-five million copies. Of course, since 2017, the number of available courses has essentially doubled through DLC, with that remaining exclusive to the newer console, but still, it’s strange to think that there was never a brand-new Mario Kart game throughout the Switch’s lifecycle. Thankfully, the Switch 2 will change that.
Mario Kart World started off the Direct with a two minute trailer followed by a two-minute breakdown. The name Mario Kart World isn’t just a fancy new title, it takes place on a vast map with varying regions and biomes. The trailer claims players will be able to drive “virtually everywhere...” Rather than waiting between races, as part of the new Grand Prix races, players will have to drive from course to course. A Free Roam mode will allow players to explore the world at their leisure, even allowing a group of four friends to explore together.
Mario Kart World's massive map.Mario Kart World, Developer: Nintendo
As observant viewers noticed in the January Switch 2 reveal trailer, Mario Kart World will allow for up to 24 racers. This is the most in series history and will certainly make for chaotic and crowded races. A new racing mode called Knockout Tour will slowly eliminate players with each race. Checkpoints throughout the race will retire any players past a certain placement once they cross the line. This mode will see players racing across the world, covering up to six courses.
Aside from all this, players will be able to grind along rails, ride on walls, jump back and forth, and change between multiple outfits with each character. Plus, the world appears to have dynamic and changing weather conditions. The same race might be different depending on whether it’s raining or sunny. Unfortunately for Nintendo Switch owners, the Direct did specifically call out Mario Kart World as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, so this may only be available on the new console.
This is a major leap for the long-running Mario Kart series. Since they have had eleven years to innovate, hopefully that means this will work out well. But we won’t have to wait too long to find out, because Mario Kart World launches alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5th, 2025, and is even available in a bundle along with the new console. There will also be a Mario Kart World Direct on April 17th that will surely dive much deeper into this new game.
