During the Nintendo Switch 2’s grand reveal this morning, Nintendo announced Mario Kart World as a launch title for the new system, which launches June 5.
This time around, Mario Kart World will take players out of the usual game modes and off the race track altogether, freely exploring a vast world map. Grand Prix mode now has players not only drive the race, but to the next course in the docket. Races are held in different areas of the map, with different weather and lighting effects at different times of day. Most exciting of all, races will incorporate the most competitors in series history—24 at once.
A new mode, Knockout Tours, is a race from one end of the map to the other. Over the course of the race, players who are below an indicated rank will be eliminated from the contest at checkpoints, so jockeying for position will be more important than ever.
Mario Kart World also promises to lean into non-racing elements. Players will be able to take scenic drives in a Free Roam mode and pose for photos with friends. Putting the sheerly competitive nature of the series aside for a moment may be a very welcome change of pace for many players.
Amidst the new features shown in a highlight reel were a level based on the original Donkey Kong, a playable cow character grinding on a power line, and many unique environmental features. Plenty of new outfits and kart components are included as well, like a dapper coat for King Boo or serious motorcycle gear for Waluigi. There’s even the unthinkable: a hat-less option for Mario.
Mario Kart World will also integrate some of the social features enabled by the new C-button on Nintendo Switch 2’s upgraded Joy-Cons. A highlight reel for the feature showed players commenting on each other’s gameplay during races and other activities.
Despite the incredible popularity of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the original Nintendo Switch—the bestselling game on the system with over 67 million copies sold— Mario Kart World is the first brand new installment of the series to land on consoles since the original Wii U version of Mario Kart 8 in 2014. So, it’s fitting that Nintendo appears to be pulling out all of the stops (and the guardrails on the courses) for this new installment.
Mario Kart World will launch alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, either as a standalone purchase, or bundled with the system as a digital version for an additional $50 USD.
