Nintendo has rebranded Warpstar Inc., the company responsible for managing the Kirby intellectual property, sparking rumors about a Kirby movie in the works. In recent months, the Japanese video game company has shown a willingness to draw attention to its puffball protagonist, even hosting an exclusive Direct to discuss its upcoming installment.

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Rebranding and restructuring subsidiaries is nothing new for Nintendo, as the company has gone through similar processes many times before. However, the timing of this recent business move seemingly gives it more significance than many of its previous reformation efforts.

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Nintendo's Subsidiary Reformation Could Hint at a Kirby Movie

On August 27, 2025, Nintendo officially announced that Warpstar Inc. Will be renamed Nintendo Stars Inc. As part of this rebranding, the company will take on broader responsibilities, including the operation, licensing, and management of Nintendo IP tie-ins. Essentially, the subsidiary will handle events, products, and partnerships for films featuring Nintendo's intellectual properties. However, since Warpstar has primarily managed Kirby-related projects like Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, fans see the change as a hint at an upcoming movie featuring the beloved pink puffball. One piece of evidence supporting this theory is that the rebranded subsidiary will continue to oversee the Kirby franchise, even as it shifts focus to films.

Kirby Air Riders Paper Machine Flying

Nintendo achieved immense success with the Super Mario Bros. Animated film, which led the company to announce even more adaptations. Currently, a live-action Legend of Zelda movie is in the works, and a sequel to the Super Mario Bros. Animated film is expected in April 2026. On top of these, there are rumors of a Donkey Kong movie, which adds fuel to theories about a possible Kirby film. Fans believe Nintendo is aiming to expand its key IPs beyond games, and to many, one franchise with huge potential for success in other media is none other than Kirby.

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The official statement regarding the recent reformation also confirms that Nintendo Stars Inc. Is now fully owned by the Japanese video game company. In fact, Nintendo appears to have acquired the subsidiary's entire share in April 2025, making it one of its consolidated divisions. Before this deal, Warpstar Inc. (Now Nintendo Stars) was jointly owned by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory, a second-party developer known for its work on some of the well-regarded Kirby games.

In the coming days, it will be interesting to see if any of these fan theories about a possible Kirby movie are confirmed. That said, since Nintendo is a mostly secretive company, fans may have to wait a long time for any firsthand news about the pink protagonist's feature film, if one is even in the works.

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Kirby Air Riders Tag Page Cover Art

Kirby Air Riders
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Racing
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Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo
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Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 86%
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Released
November 20, 2025
ESRB
Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
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Kirby Air Riders Press Image 1
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

FAST-PACED VEHICULAR ACTION
Pick your rider, pick your machine, and mount up for competition! Take on your rivals in frantic arena battles or fast-paced races on the ground and in the air. Use the Boost Charge button to brake and control your turns as your machine automatically fights for top speed. Fill your Boost Charge Gauge as you drift around the bend and release it to trigger an explosive dash!

PLAY WITH amiibo
Mix and match in-game Figure Players with the new rider-machine dual pack amiibo™ figures! Each pack comes with one rider and machine, which together form a figure. You can change the combination of your riders and machines to make different figures, too.

Tap them into your game to play with your Figure Players!, By racing together with them, their level and machine's proficiency will increase. 

Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
Franchise
Kirby
Number of Players
1-4 players
Genre(s)
Racing
Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch 2