Mario Kart World live blog: all the Switch 2 news from today's Nintendo Direct
We got a closer look at Mario Kart World for the Switch 2
Update: See the latest Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order news in the US from our restock experts, as American retailers confirm their launch day plans.
👉 We covered today’s Mario Kart World Direct live
👍 You’ll find all the biggest announcements, updates and commentary right here
📆 The Mario Kart World Direct aired today at 6am PT / 9am ET
👀 Sadly, we didn’t hear about the Switch 2’s new pre-order date
9:20am ET: And that’s it, folks! A short but very sweet look at Mario Kart World. No Switch 2 pre-order date was shared, however, the game does look fantastic. Don’t you agree? Thanks for joining me for today’s Mario Kart World Direct. Roll on June 5!
9:15am ET: Nintendo showing off Game Chat now and the camera. You can see your friends faces above each character, which should create some funny moments. A single Nintendo Switch 2 camera can show four players as well. Honestly, it looks pretty fun.
9:13am ET: Mario Kart World supports 8 player local multiplayer (two on each Switch) and four player splitscreen on one console. Of course, there’s also online play. You’ll wait in a big freeroam lobby for your friends to join, and meet up with friends anywhere in the world. Battle or race with custom rules, or just go for a road trip together. And yep, photo mode is supported.
9:12am ET: Free Roam lets you go wherever, and there’s P Switches to discover. These start missions and let you hone your driving ability outside of races. There are also hidden coins, hidden panels, and more. Interesting! You can also take photos whenever you like during Free Roam.
9:10am ET: If you thought Mario Kart World was inspired by Forza Horizon, you’re probably right. The game now features a Rewind option, allowing you to remove some of the frustration. Time Trials sound more appealing this time around. You can download other racers’ ghost data and take them on. I’ll be setting times that The Shortcut team can’t beat. Of course, you can also customize your races, including a four team faces. And yes, Battle Mode is back.
9:08am ET: Mario Kart World retains many of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s assist options, making it more accessible for younger audiences. Okay, so more the outfits now. You can visit drive throughs, eat some food and unlock new costumes. These can be selected from the character screen. Yeah, I’m finding all of these.
9:06am ET: Knockout Tour is being shown off now. Drive to survive, or you’re out! I can see this being an incredibly popular mode. It’s almost like a battle royale. Almost. Quick look at some new items. Coin shell, Ice Flower, Hammer, Mega Mushroom, Feather, and Kamek are all new to Mario Kart World.
9:05am ET: Mario Kart World features 24 racers, the most in series’ history. The more racers, the more chaos on the track. I can’t wait. You also need to drive yourself to each new course, so you can’t fall asleep at the wheel after you win.
9:03am ET: Nintendo has reimagined some classic tracks like Toad’s Factory, but you’ll also be able to race during the day and night. Now for a look at some of the characters. There’s Spike, Goomba, and yes, Cow!
9:00am ET: And we’re off! Doesn’t it look pretty? Nintendo reminding us you can drive anywhere, and we’re getting a look at some of the courses. Did I mention how pretty this game looks?
8:55am ET: 5 minutes to go! Let’s see what the Mario Kart World Direct has in store. Will it be able to sell 67.35 million copies like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? No pressure!
8:33am ET: Consider this your 30 minute warning. Just a reminder: the Mario Kart World Direct takes place at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST. It’s set to last around 15 minutes and will focus on the next entry in Nintendo’s beloved series. There’s a chance we might get a new Switch 2 pre-order date at the end of the presentation as well, but we’ll have to wait and see. Lots to look forward to, then!
8:18am ET: We’re less than an hour away from Nintendo’s Mario Kart World Direct, and I’ve dropped the stream above so you can watch it right here. Turns out, I was wrong about Nintendo turning comments off. And credit to them for that. I’ve updated the previous story to reflect my mistake but honestly, I can understand why they may have been tempted. Predictably, the comment section is full of people asking Nintendo to drop the price.
7:51am ET: Nintendo likes to take full advantage of its hardware features. And one of Switch 2’s new tricks is the ability to run select Nintendo Switch 2 games at 120fps. Mario Kart is strongly rumored to have an 120Hz mode, which would make sense for a competitive game like this. You’ll need a compatible display to enjoy 120fps, but the Switch 2’s display supports 120Hz natively so it isn’t out of the question. So far, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the only game that has been confirmed to support 120fps, but we’re expecting Mario Kart World to join the list.
7:08am ET: For Mario Kart World, custom kart builds are out, but adorable costumes for characters are in! It’s not clear how these costumes work just yet, but some screenshots released by Nintendo show Princess Peach in a Fire Flower kimono, and Toadette wearing a train conductor outfit. Told you they were adorable!
6:31am ET: (Editor’s note: I was wrong!) Here’s something that we haven’t seen before. Nintendo has turned off comments for the Mario Kart World Direct. It’s hardly a surprise, as its Treehouse Live event was hammered with people demanding Nintendo “drop the price”. Clearly, Nintendo doesn’t want people being distracted by the same comments this time around, especially as it tries to sell us on the $80 value of Mario Kart World.
5:56am ET: I sunk hundreds of hours into Mario Kart 8, so I’m super excited about Mario Kart World. As much as I loved Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, if you were one of the 12 million people who bought a Wii U and a copy of MK8 (yes, I was one of them) then it wasn’t really a new game. However, Mario Kart World is a brand-new experience, not just a port with DLC. And that already makes it extra special. Plus, you can play as a cow from Moo Moo Meadows.
4:44am ET: Start your engines, Mario Kart fans. Today we’re getting a 15-minute, in-depth look at Mario Kart World, which is easily one of the most anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 launch games. We could also finally get a new Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date, so keep an eye out for that.
As for Mario Kart World, the game takes the series in a new direction – specifically, off track. You can freely drive between courses, explore the world like never before, and glide, grind, and wall jump your way around.
The game’s free roaming mechanic hasn’t been fully explained, which is something that will no doubt be a core focus in today’s Nintendo Direct. We should also get a reminder of some of the game’s new modes, like Knockout Tour, where players are eliminated depending on their position until one racer remains.
Mario Kart World releases alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5 and is also available as part of a bundle for $499.99. I just pre-ordered the Nintendo Switch 2 in the UK and grabbed the Mario Kart World bundle as you’re saving $30 as opposed to buying the console and game separately.
And that’s because, as fantastic as Mario Kart World looks, Nintendo has priced it at $79.99. That’s a new price threshold that we haven’t seen before, and it’s understandably led to a lot of backlash from fans. Sony and Microsoft only just introduced $70 games for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but now Nintendo has opened the door to $80 games. Gaming sure is getting expensive, huh?
Nevertheless, Nintendo believes its $80 price tag for Mario Kart World is justified, and we’ll see whether that’s the case during today’s Mario Kart World Direct. I’ll be covering all the announcements right here on our Mario Kart World live blog so you don’t miss a thing.
The show is still a good few hours away, so put on some Nintendo Music, sit back, and let me keep you company with regular Mario Kart World-related updates.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.