The Nintendo Switch hit the market worldwide on March 3, 2017. Just over a month later, on April 28, 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe arrived—a polished and expanded version of the Wii U original. It didn’t take long before this title became the Switch’s best-selling game, maintaining a strong presence in sales charts year after year. Yet, despite its huge success and continued support through downloadable content, a quiet question has hovered among fans: When will we get a truly new Mario Kart game? Recent reports suggest the answer might be rooted all the way back to the early days of the original Switch.
According to insiders and developer hints, the game now known as Mario Kart World—a launch title for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2—has actually been in development for quite some time. This extended timeline suggests Nintendo’s ambitions are high, aiming not just for a simple sequel but for a meaningful evolution in the series.
Early Ambitions and a Pivotal Shift
Apparently, the initial ideas for the next Mario Kart started brewing around the same time the first Switch launched. The Nintendo EPD team, the division behind the series, likely began brainstorming and experimenting with new concepts and tech for the franchise’s future. As with most games, development unfolds in stages, starting with planning and pre-production, where foundational ideas are hashed out and prototypes take shape.
By 2020, though, things reportedly hit a snag. The game, initially designed for the original Switch hardware, ran into technical hurdles—especially when trying to realize an ambitious open-world racing experience with 24 players. The original Switch’s specs simply weren’t up to the task. This challenge led to a significant pivot: the team decided to shift development toward the next-gen hardware, the Nintendo Switch 2. This move opened new possibilities, allowing them to push creative and technical boundaries that the first console couldn’t support.
The Booster Course Pass and Strategic Delays
The extended development for Mario Kart World also sheds light on Nintendo’s release of the Booster Course Pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Launched in March 2022, this DLC added 48 new tracks and characters, and while it proved wildly popular, it served a dual purpose. Producer Kosuke Yabuki noted that the Booster Course Pass gave the team “a bit more time to continue development” on Mario Kart World. Essentially, it kept the existing game fresh and profitable, giving Nintendo breathing room while they focused on the next big thing.
This isn’t unusual for Nintendo. Their flagship titles often go through long development cycles, with plenty of fine-tuning and iteration. They’re known for delivering polished experiences, and rushing a sequel—especially for a series as beloved as Mario Kart—just wouldn’t fit their style.
Revealing Mario Kart World for the Switch 2
Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 on January 16, 2025, and with it, we got the first glimpse of the new Mario Kart game. The reveal sparked excitement, with many noting the game’s art style, which seems inspired by recent successes like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
A fuller reveal followed on April 2, 2025, during a Nintendo Direct. The game’s official title, Mario Kart World, was confirmed, along with a detailed trailer showcasing new features—24-player races, fresh gameplay modes, and more. This aligns perfectly with earlier reports about the ambitious scale of the project, which needed the power of the new console to come to life.
Set to launch on June 5, 2025, alongside the Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World is clearly a marquee launch title, designed to highlight what the new hardware can do. Interestingly, the game will retail at US$79.99—significantly higher than previous Switch titles. This might raise eyebrows, but it likely reflects the increased scale and complexity of the game, as well as broader rising costs in game development.
The journey of Mario Kart World, from early concepts around the original Switch’s debut to its upcoming launch on the Switch 2, reveals a lot about Nintendo’s long-term approach to its key franchises. Retooling the game for new hardware, while strategically extending the life of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with DLC, shows a methodical, quality-driven development process.
Fans can probably expect a truly fresh Mario Kart experience, built from the ground up to leverage the Switch 2’s capabilities. With the extended timeline, it seems Nintendo isn’t just aiming to add a few new tracks or modes—they want to redefine the series in some meaningful way. The wait has been long, maybe longer than most expected, but the story behind it all suggests that when Mario Kart World finally hits the track, it could be well worth it.
