Mario Kart 9 – Latest News And Release Date

Bringing its biggest changes to date, Mario Kart 9 will arrive on Nintendo’s new Switch 2 sooner than you might think. Here’s what we know so far.

While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has done a decent job of keeping the fans busy since 2017 with its DLC and online races, it looks like Nintendo’s finally ready to roll out the next chapter of the legendary kart racing series.

Recently, the gaming giant dropped a sneaky first look at what appears to be Mario Kart 9 in their Switch 2 reveal trailer. While it’s not official just yet, seeing Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and the gang drifting around a new desert track alongside plenty of fresh features makes it pretty clear what’s coming.

Nintendo is hosting a dedicated Switch 2 Nintendo Direct showcase on April 2, 2025, and you can bet Mario Kart will be taking center stage.

After all, the fan-favorite series has sold over 188 million copies during its lifespan, and 67 million were from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe alone! These bonkers figures make it the most successful racing game franchise ever.

We’ve got plenty to cover, so let’s look at why fans are getting so excited about Mario’s next lap around the track…

Switch 2 Reveal Teases The All-New Mario Kart

The Switch 2 reveal trailer gave us our first glimpse of the next Mario Kart game. While Nintendo hasn’t officially named it yet, the footage shows the usual suspects, including Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, and Toad, racing (and drifting!) through an all-new desert track called Mario Bros. Circuit.

We recommend skipping to 1:40 on the video to jump right into the Mario Kart action, which continues until 1:58.

The brief official teaser shows karts, bikes, and other new vehicles, rounded off nicely with some smokin’ sideways action! (Admittedly, in a “blink-and-you’ll miss it” moment, but still.)

We also got a peek at what appears to be a Yoshi-themed fast food outlet alongside a notably wide desert highway, suggesting some interesting new track designs. (That extra width might have something to do with the rumored 24-player races!)

While there’s no question it’s a new MK game, there’s plenty of speculation about whether the title will be Mario Kart 9 or 10 (Mario Kart X), considering Mario Kart Tour, alongside number ‘9’ being considered unlucky in Japanese culture.

Either way, we’re sure it’ll all be revealed soon. We’re sticking with the logical name unless it’s confirmed otherwise, which (to us, at least) is Mario Kart 9!

While Nintendo is keeping most details under wraps for now, we’ve also seen rumors about a Mario Kart-themed Switch 2 design, which will be awesome for die-hard fans if true!

Mario Kart 9 Release Date

While Nintendo hasn’t officially confirmed any release dates yet, it seems pretty certain that Mario Kart 9 will be a Switch 2 launch title.

Initial rumors that got plenty of hype on social media suggested a March 3, 2025 launch (matching the original Switch’s launch date). However, given we’re already in mid-February, that’s looking extremely unlikely!

The more credible timeline right now comes from insider Nate the Hate, who correctly predicted the January 16 Switch 2 reveal. He’s suggesting a May or June 2025 release window for both the console and Mario Kart 9, which he discusses in-depth in this podcast:

Right now, June 2025 looks most likely, especially with Nintendo’s global Switch 2 Experience hands-on public demo tour wrapping up that month. In our opinion, the timing makes perfect sense.

We won’t have to wait too long for confirmation, though. Nintendo is hosting a dedicated Switch 2 Nintendo Direct on April 2, when we’ll likely get the official release date. (Be sure to mark your calendar!)

Mario Kart 9 Tracks and Characters

The reveal gave us our first look at Mario Bros. Circuit, a brand new desert track that’s unlike anything we’ve seen in previous Mario Kart games. The course features Yoshi’s Diner alongside a massive four-lane highway, hinting at much larger races than we’re used to.

Speaking of larger races, one of the most significant talking points has been the 24-spot grid seen on the track. This is double the usual 12-player limit we’ve had until now, which explains the need for wider tracks.

At the end of the trailer, there are 18 characters on screen at once, making this increasingly likely. Here’s to hoping we don’t end up being “that guy” in 24th!

The character roster we spotted looks pretty stacked already. Plenty of familiar faces spotted in the teaser will be making their return (drop us a message if we missed any!):

• Mario
• Luigi
• Princess Peach
• Bowser
• Toad
• Daisy
• Donkey Kong
• Yoshi
• Rosalina
• Baby Mario
• Baby Luigi
• Baby Peach
• Baby Daisy
• Bowser Jr.
• Lakitu
• Wario
• Waluigi
• Birdo
• Toadette
• Pauline
• Koopa Troopa
• King Boo
• Shy Guy

Mario Kart 9 Gameplay

The latest game looks set to maintain the series’ signature mechanics while undoubtedly bringing plenty of improvements. The Switch 2’s hardware allows for physics-based shaders and dynamic lighting effects, which will make the races more visually impressive than ever.

Some fans feel the expanded track sizes will lead to more off-road exploration and shortcuts. Combined with the variety of off-road vehicles we’ve spotted, this could mean more freedom in how players approach each race. Open-world seems unlikely (and a bit pointless, given the game’s theme), but it’s also been a hot discussion point.

Another improvement will be the enhanced haptic feedback through the Joy-Con controllers. This will let you feel every drift, coin pickup, and shell hit like never before. There’s also a leaked steering wheel accessory with a desk mount, suggesting that Nintendo aims to deliver its most impressive racing add-ons to date.

New Features Spotted In The Teaser

If you look closely at the reveal trailer (YouTube’s 0.25 speed is a huge help here), we see hints of some exciting new mechanics coming to Mario Kart 9. A brief clip shows Bowser’s kart getting tipped to nudge Peach, suggesting we might see more racing interactions than ever before.

The vehicle variety looks set to expand, too. Rosalina’s snowmobile-style kart comes equipped with tank-style tracks instead of traditional wheels, while other characters are rollin’ on ATVs and hovercraft-like vehicles. These new rides could open up new ideas and possibilities for different tracks.

Arguably, the most intriguing feature is the mysterious fuel system. Sharp-eyed fans spotted visible fuel tanks on the karts (and branding) labeled with “1-UP Fuel.” There’s also a Fire Flower Gas Station and a Fire Flower-shaped icon with a gas pump nozzle. Could the need to re-fuel the karts be a new addition?

Right now, there’s little to go on, but we’ve no doubt plenty more will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Will Mario Kart 9 Release On The (OG) Switch?

Although Nintendo confirmed backward compatibility for Switch games on Switch 2, they haven’t mentioned anything about Mario Kart 9 running on the original Switch. Given the game’s enhanced visuals and 24-player races, it’s likely to be a Switch 2 exclusive, designed to showcase its true capabilities.

Nintendo’s been pretty clear about certain Switch games not being fully compatible with Switch 2, so expecting their flagship racing title to work on older hardware might be a stretch. After all, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was known for pushing the original Switch to its limits.

Don’t hold your breath if you’re hoping to play it on other platforms. Nintendo is far more protective of its first-party games than certain other companies (we’re looking at you, Microsoft!)

This most certainly means no Xbox, PlayStation, PC, or Steam Deck versions – we’ll be stunned if Mario Kart doesn’t stay right where it belongs.

While you wait for Mario Kart 9, we highly recommend checking out the free online browser-based drifting game Drift Hunters MAX. You can play it on your desktop or mobile, and it now features a ‘Drift Attack’ mode, with specific drifting challenges complete with time limits, clippings points, and AI judging!

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