Ever since it was spotted in various gameplay reveals and trailers, the UFO in Mario Kart World has been a hot topic. Some players have been desperate to find out more about where to find it and what it does. With the game now officially out in the wild, all the details about the supernatural addition to Nintendo's kart racer have been revealed. Here's everything players need to know about where to find and how to get abducted by the UFO in Mario Kart World.

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How to Find the UFO and Get Abducted in Mario Kart World

Out in the Open World

The UFO can only be found in Mario Kart World's free roam mode, which allows players to explore the open world outside the typical racing action. Unfortunately, the UFO doesn't have a specific location that it spawns in or can always be found. Instead, it appears to spawn randomly around the map, hovering above roads. From my experience in the game so far, I've not come across a UFO off the beaten path in the middle of nowhere. As such, players' best bet is to stick to the roads and keep an eye out for the telltale tractor beam shining down on the road.

When I encountered a UFO, I saw it flying high up in the sky overhead before it started to lower itself and hover over the road. I stopped driving, sat and watched it so I could make sure it was going to land in front of me, and waited for its tractor beam to be turned on.

To get abducted by a UFO, players need to drive into its tractor beam, shining on the road directly below it. This will cause their kart to be sucked up into the bottom of the spaceship.

How to Drive the UFO in Mario Kart World

Take to the Skies

flying the ufo in mario kart world

Once abducted, players can take control of it to fly around the map and generally explore the world a little bit faster. Steering the UFO is the same as driving a kart. The A button is used to accelerate, B is used to brake, and you'll use the left analog stick to steer. Players can also use the tractor beam to suck up cars, items, and other characters and players around the map by pressing the R button. With Peach Coins to collect and secrets hidden across the open world map, the UFO can be useful for exploring difficult-to-reach spaces, or even just getting a birds-eye view of the surrounding area to pinpoint collectibles or other points of interest.

It's worth noting that controlling the UFO is only available for a limited time after getting abducted. I've calculated this to be around 30 seconds from my experiences so far. I also haven't found a way to increase the amount of time you can fly the UFO. Once time's up, players will be dropped out of the UFO and can use their kart's glider to make it down to solid ground.

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Mario Kart World Tag Page Cover Art
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Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
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Released
June 5, 2025
ESRB
Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Nintendo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
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Mario Kart World Press Image 1
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Genre(s)
Racing, Open-World