After last week’s Nintendo Switch 2 reveal announced the first ever open world Mario Kart game, Mario Kart World, Nintendo released a direct tonight to release more details. This includes a day and night cycle with dynamic weather, free roam with missions and food with grants outfits!
Check out the direct and a round-up below:
Mario Kart World Direct
Even though the Treehouse videos after the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal already showed off a bunch of the new courses, the direct confirmed the following new and returning courses for Mario Kart World:
Mario Bros. Circuit
Crown City
Salty Salty Speedway
Starview Peak
Boo Cinema
Toad’s Factory
Peach Beach
Wario Shipyard
All the courses are now connected in one map, which can be driven directly to. You’ll have to drive to the next starting line after you finish a race for the two racing game modes, Grand Prix and Knockout Tour.
Grand Prix is the usual mode, where you race four matches on four courses in set sequences. Knockout Tour is a longer prix with more races where you go on a grand tour across the map. You have to make sure to stay in the upper ranks, or you’ll be kicked off the tour.
The direct also confirmed that 24 players can race in a course online, while local play, with eight Switch 2s, can support 16 players.
Some confirmed returning and new characters include:
Mario
Luigi
Peach
Bowser
Yoshi
Goomba
Spike
Cow
Lakitu
Daisy
And some new and returning items include:
Coin Shell
Ice Flower
Hammer
Mega Mushroom
Feather
Kamek
Bullet Bill
Lightning
Also new for Mario Kart World are food items, which, when consumed, give you an outfit inspired by that item. One example shown was a burger giving Mario an American bomber jacket, sushi giving Mario a happi outfit like you’d see at a Japanese matsuri, or Bowser’s Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey.
You’ll be able to get these food items at places in Free Roam, the biggest new mode in Mario Kart World. Free Roam will let you drive anywhere in the game, land, sea or air. The karts will change based on the environment. There are now missions to complete in the mode, collectables to collect, and emotes to show off. You can use the new Charge Jump mechanic and the Rewind feature, which literally rewinds your kart, through Free Roam and solo races.
Mario Kart World will launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, the same day the console is released worldwide.
