Overview
Developed by Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 9 and published by Nintendo, Mario Kart World is a video game released on June 5, 2025 for Nintendo Switch 2. The genres associated with this entry are adventure, fantasy, racing and open world, with single-player, multiplayer and split-screen modes.
The game changes the traditional structure of Mario Kart by placing its courses within a vast interconnected world. Plains, cities, bodies of water, volcanic areas and other environments are linked by roads and spaces that can themselves become part of the races.
Moving from one course to the next is therefore no longer necessarily a simple transition. In several events, the route between two tracks becomes a full racing section, requiring drivers to adapt to more open environments than the usual closed circuits.
Grand Prix retains a structure based on several races and a points ranking, but its four courses are now connected. The sections between tracks directly contribute to the competition, while up to 24 drivers can take part.
This increase in the number of competitors changes the density of races. Items, racing lines and overtaking must be managed within a field that can include 24 vehicles simultaneously, compared with smaller groups in previous main installments.
Driving also gains new possibilities. Drivers can leave conventional routes, ride along walls, grind on rails, cross certain water surfaces and use different elements of the environment to reach shortcuts or alter their racing line.
These techniques make the environments more directly usable. Natural barriers and the limits of a course can sometimes become surfaces for movement, making mastery of the vehicle more closely connected to observing the surroundings.
Knockout Tour uses a different structure from Grand Prix. The 24 drivers race through several courses in succession without interruption and must reach each of five checkpoints in a high enough position to avoid elimination.
The number of participants gradually decreases at each checkpoint until the final part of the event. This structure turns several courses and their connecting roads into one long race in which the player must maintain their position throughout the entire route.
Free Roam, by contrast, removes the pressure of competition. The player can move freely through the world, choose their direction, explore different regions, search for elements scattered throughout the environments and use a photo mode to capture certain views.
This exploration gives the spaces connecting the courses a role of their own. They no longer serve only as scenery or transitions: they can be explored to discover secondary roads, passages and different activities outside traditional races.
Mario Kart World also retains several more traditional modes. VS races, Time Trials and Battles complement Grand Prix, while Balloon Battle and Coin Runners extend item-focused confrontations rather than races centered on crossing a finish line.
The environments can also evolve over time through weather changes and a day-night cycle. The same region can therefore present different visual conditions during exploration or races.
Multiplayer remains a central component. Up to four people can play on the same Nintendo Switch 2, while the game also offers local wireless multiplayer and online races that can bring together up to 24 participants.
Characters from the Mario universe are joined by different vehicles and numerous outfit variations to discover. Visual customization therefore expands the available combinations without changing the fundamental principle of choosing a driver and a vehicle before taking to the road.
Mario Kart World therefore builds its evolution around continuity between courses. The open world, connecting roads, Free Roam, 24-driver races and new movement techniques transform the environments into spaces to explore both during and outside competitions.
Key takeaways
- Mario Kart World introduces a vast interconnected world in which courses and the roads separating them can be driven through directly.
- Races can feature up to 24 drivers.
- New techniques notably allow players to ride along walls, grind on rails and cross certain water surfaces.
- Knockout Tour links several courses together and gradually eliminates drivers at five checkpoints.
- Free Roam allows players to explore the world freely and search for different elements outside races.
- Grand Prix, VS races, Time Trials, Battles and local or online multiplayer complete the main ways to play.
Conclusion
Mario Kart World retains the central principle of the series — racing through courses with characters from the Mario universe while using items, boosts and driving techniques — but significantly changes the way these races are organized.
The interconnected world turns the spaces between courses into a direct component of the gameplay. Grand Prix and Knockout Tour use these connections during competition, while Free Roam allows players to explore them freely without any ranking objective.
The new movement possibilities also expand the use of the environment. Rails, walls, water surfaces and routes outside the main racing lines become additional elements for building a path through a race or exploring the world.
Mario Kart World therefore combines racing and open-world design by making its continuous environment the shared foundation for 24-driver competitions, free exploration and new forms of movement.
Good to know
- Mario Kart World was released on June 5, 2025.
- The game was developed by Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 9 and published by Nintendo.
- It is available on Nintendo Switch 2.
- The genres listed in this entry are adventure, fantasy, racing and open world.
- It features Single player, Multiplayer and Split screen modes.
- Grand Prix and Knockout Tour can feature up to 24 drivers.
- Free Roam allows players to freely explore the interconnected world outside traditional races.
