Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World takes Mario Kart into a connected open-road format, with 24-player races, Free Roam, and a massive new test for Switch 2.
Why This One Is on My Radar
I am always excited for a new Mario Kart game, but this one has a particularly difficult job.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe leaves behind an enormous legacy. It was not just a successful racing game; it became one of the defining games of the Nintendo Switch era. Between the base game, the Booster Course Pass, online play, local multiplayer, and years of being the default “anyone can play this” Switch game, it is hard to overstate how difficult that game will be to follow.
That is what makes Mario Kart World so interesting. Nintendo is not simply responding with more cups and more characters. It is taking the series into a connected world where racers can move from one course to another, explore in Free Roam, race with up to 24 drivers, and experience shifting weather and a day/night cycle. This game is a massive evolution of the series with the whole world becoming the racetrack.
That is a bold direction for Mario Kart, and it feels like the kind of idea that could really show off what Nintendo Switch 2 is capable of. The question is whether that larger world makes Mario Kart feel fresh, or whether players end up missing the tight, perfectly paced structure that made Mario Kart 8 Deluxe so easy to return to.
The Short Version
Mario Kart World is available now on Nintendo Switch 2.
This is worth paying attention to because it is not just another Mario Kart entry. Mario Kart World connects courses through paths that span mountains, forests, cities, and more, with shifting weather and a day/night cycle helping the world feel more alive.
The big question is whether the open-road structure can live up to the legacy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. If the connected world adds discovery, momentum, and variety without slowing down the racing, this could be exactly the reset Mario Kart needed. If it makes the experience feel less focused, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe may remain a very hard shadow to escape.
Quick Details
Game file size: 22 GB
No. of players: Single system 1–4, local wireless 2–8, online 2–24
System: Nintendo Switch 2
Release Date: June 5, 2025
ESRB rating: Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
What Kind of Game Is This?
Mario Kart World is a kart racing game where Mario and friends race across a connected world instead of simply moving from one separate course to another.
In other words, this is still Mario Kart. You are drifting around corners, using items, fighting for position, getting hit at the worst possible time, and trying to survive the beautiful chaos of a close race. But the structure around that racing is much bigger than before.
Players can race from one course to another through interconnected paths, with locations spanning mountains, forests, cities, and more. The game also includes Free Roam, where players can explore courses at their own pace and discover surprises around the world.
The major modes help explain the shift. Grand Prix has players compete across four connected courses, while Knockout Tour sends racers through back-to-back courses with elimination checkpoints along the way. Battle mode also returns with Balloon Battle and Coin Runners.
Why It Matters
Mario Kart World is significant because Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was so complete that Nintendo almost had to rethink the sequel around a bigger idea.
A traditional follow-up with better visuals and new tracks might have been fun, but it also would have invited constant comparisons to a game that already had years of polish and an enormous track list. By making the world itself part of the racing structure, Nintendo is giving Mario Kart World a clearer identity.
For Switch 2, this also matters because Mario Kart is one of Nintendo’s most important showcase franchises. A connected world, 24-player races, Free Roam, weather, day/night changes, GameChat, and larger online races all give Nintendo a chance to show why this game belongs on new hardware.
The risk is that bigger does not automatically mean better. Mario Kart works because it is immediate, readable, competitive, and easy to replay. Mario Kart World needs to expand the formula without making it feel slower or less focused.
My Player Notes
What I’m excited about
I’m excited about Mario Kart World because a new Mario Kart game is always a big deal, and the connected-world idea gives this one a real identity beyond simply adding more tracks. If Free Roam, 24-player races, and open-road transitions work well, this could feel like a true next step for the series.
What I’m cautious about
I’m cautious because Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an incredibly difficult game to follow. It had so much content and such a long life on Switch that Mario Kart World has to do more than be new. It has to prove that this new structure is actually better for the series.
What I want to know next
I want to know whether the open-world structure makes the racing feel more exciting or more spread out. Free Roam sounds fun, but the real test is whether the connected courses and between-race routes make Mario Kart feel more alive without hurting the pace.
What would make this work
This works if Mario Kart World keeps the instant fun of Mario Kart while making the world feel worth exploring. Strong track design, smooth online play, satisfying 24-player races, fun Free Roam surprises, and fast transitions between events would make the new structure feel justified.
What could hold it back
What could hold it back is the weight of comparison. If players feel like Mario Kart World is bigger but not tighter, flashier but not as replayable, or more ambitious but less elegant, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will remain a very difficult game to move past.
Who I'd Recommend This To
Mario Kart World is worth keeping on your radar if you like Mario Kart, party racing games, local multiplayer, online competition, Free Roam exploration, and Nintendo games that turn simple ideas into long-term multiplayer staples.
This also looks like one of the most important Switch 2 games to watch. If the connected world works, Mario Kart World could become the kind of game people keep installed for years, just like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe before it.
I would be more cautious if your favorite thing about Mario Kart is the tight, traditional cup structure. Mario Kart World is clearly trying to evolve the series, and that is exciting, but the new format has to prove that bigger roads make for better racing.
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