Nintendo apparently revealed a new Mario Kart game for Switch 2 on Thursday, and fans believe it also marked a big shakeup for the series in one key way.
Images of an unspecified Mario Kart title appeared on screen during the first look at the Switch 2, without any clarification as to what it was showing. However, the track is unrecognizable and some characters sport new designs.
However, perhaps the most significant change was hidden in plain sight. In the images, 15 characters can be seen on screen at once, suggesting that Mario Kart 9 could expand the number of simultaneous players per race to more than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s 12.
Significantly, the footage could suggest that Nintendo will expand the number of players even more than that, because if you count the number of grid spots shown at the start of the track, they have room for 24 racers.
The short footage also appears to show a design change for Donkey Kong. While his recent appearances in Mario Kart match the typical Donkey Kong design seen in more recent Nintendo games, this new Mario Kart footage shows a more cartoonish Donkey Kong with a sillier face.
Nintendo has yet to officially confirm a release date or price for the Switch 2, or any software title for that matter. However, a Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct has been confirmed for April 2.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is by far the Switch’s best-selling game, with 64 million sales as of September 2024, so it makes sense that a successor would be around for the launch of its next console.
