Some Mario Kart World players have been complaining about a missing feature that was present in the last few entries in the franchise, as they're no longer easily able to see what countries other racers are playing from in multiplayer matches. Player representation in Mario Kart World has taken a step away from Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which both offered this feature, and fans are having mixed reactions to the change.
There's been a lot riding on the success of Mario Kart World, which was released on June 5. It was one of only two first-party games at launch for the Nintendo Switch 2, with the other being Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. The latter game, priced at just $10, is a simple mini-game collection intended to acclimate players to the new console's features, and though Nintendo has been eagerly pushing previews of games like Donkey Kong Bananza, the kart-racing game is currently the talk of the town.
Mario Kart World Players May Be Making the Game Harder and Not Even Realizing It
Some Mario Kart World players could be doing something that makes the game harder without knowing that they are sabotaging themselves.
The game is seeing incredible success, with both players and critics responding well to Mario Kart World's open-world exploration and classic racing features. Still, some players are now complaining about the multiplayer lobby's lack of flags denoting the countries of origin for each player waiting to join a race. Multiple players on Reddit have stated that they miss the feature from Mario Kart 8, both because it let them show pride in their home countries and because it was fun to see the worldwide appeal of the racing franchise, with some comparing it to the Olympics. Several players especially showed excitement and dread when going up against lobbies full of players from Japan, as the country's hardcore devotion to Mario Kart has made winning against them an unofficial badge of honor.
Mario Kart World Players Miss National Flags
That sentiment isn't shared by all players, however. Some players reported receiving harassment from other members of the community because of their location in past games. Others said the flag feature never properly represented them anyway, with one player originally from Ireland but living in the United Kingdom bemoaning having been erroneously previously represented by the latter country's Union Jack. Another stated that they were forced to be represented by the United States flag because their country wasn't listed on the Nintendo eShop.
Along with the lack of flags, some players are also pining for the use of Miis as the standard profile picture. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was one of the best games for Miis on the Nintendo Switch, with the custom characters actually able to participate in races against established figures from the Mushroom Kingdom, and several players are missing their visual presence in the newest Mario Kart game.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- June 5, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
