Nintendo appears to have revealed a new Switch 2 Mario Kart game on Thursday, and fans think it will bring big changes to the series in one key way.
When we first saw the Switch 2, footage from an unspecified Mario Kart title appeared on the screen, with no clear explanation as to what it was showing. However, the tracks are unrecognizable and some characters sport new designs.
But perhaps the most significant change is what’s hiding in plain sight. The video shows 15 characters on screen at once, suggesting that Mario Kart 9 will be able to expand the number of simultaneous players per race beyond Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s ​​12.
Importantly, the video may suggest that Nintendo will increase player numbers much higher than that. That’s because if you count the number of grid positions shown at the start of the track, there’s room for 24 racers.
The short video also appears to show changes to Donkey Kong’s design. While his recent Mario Kart appearance is consistent with the typical Donkey Kong design seen in recent Nintendo games, this new Mario Kart video shows a more cartoonish Donkey Kong with a goofier face.
Nintendo has yet to officially confirm a release date or price for Switch 2, or indeed any software titles. However, the Nintendo Direct focusing on Switch 2 has been confirmed for April 2nd.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the Switch’s best-selling game, with 64 million units sold as of September 2024, so it makes sense for a successor to appear at the console’s next release.
