Summary

  • A dedicated Mario Kart World Direct livestream will be held on April 17 at 9 AM EST.
  • The new Mario Kart title for the Nintendo Switch 2 includes a Free Roam mode, 24 drivers per race, and more changes.
  • The title will launch on June 5, the same day as the Nintendo Switch 2.

Mario Kart fans should mark their calendars for April 17, when more information about Mario Kart World will be revealed during a dedicated Direct stream. When the Nintendo Switch 2 was finally revealed in January, gamers also got a glimpse at a new Mario Kart title in development for the upcoming console. This Mario Kart game was also on display during the April 2 Nintendo Switch 2 Direct livestream, which revealed its full title and how it could be the biggest entry in the series to date in more ways than one.

Mario Kart World takes players to a massive interconnected world filled with colorful racetracks, which includes dusty towns, lava-filled castles, and exotic jungles. The recent Mario Kart World trailer featured classic Nintendo characters grinding on rails, racing along walls, and using power-ups, while even exploring alternate routes to get ahead of the competition. In addition to the usual Grand Prix and new elimination Knockout Tour mode, Mario Kart World introduces a Free Roam mode that allows the player to drive around and explore the game’s many environments at their leisure.

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This week’s Nintendo Switch 2 Direct was filled with new information about Mario Kart World, and another demonstration is already set for April 17. According to the announcement at the end of the Mario Kart World trailer, a new Direct livestream centered around the game will be held at 6 AM Pacific Time and 9 AM Eastern.

Mario Kart World Direct Date and Time

  • April 17, 2025
  • 6 AM Pacific Time/9 AM Eastern Time

Mario Kart World will launch on June 5, 2025, the same day as the Nintendo Switch 2. Viewers who tuned into the new Nintendo Switch 2 Direct also finally learned the function of the mysterious button on the Switch 2’s updated Joy-Con 2 controller and got a closer look at the system’s new features like mouse controls, 3D audio, and a larger display screen. Nintendo also confirmed updated Switch 2 editions of original Switch games like Super Mario Party Jamboree, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and the upcoming Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

All of this was kickstarted by the full trailer for Mario Kart World, which is not only the first entirely new first-party title confirmed for the Nintendo Switch 2, but also a launch title for the upcoming system. With its larger tracks, open-world framework, and a whopping 24 drivers in each race, Mario Kart World could be the most ambitious game in the series to date, and more information will be revealed on April 17.

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Racing
Open-World
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Systems
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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