We finally know what awaits you in the open world – and much more!
It’s not long now until the release of the Switch 2 on June 5, 2025, which means that Mario Kart World is also approaching the finish line as a launch title. Nintendo gave fans an early Easter present on April 17, 2025, revealing tons of new information about the racing game in a new Direct broadcast.
Before the Blue Shell comes, we’d better get going. Damn, there it is… Ouch!
How the open world works
After the reveal of Mario Kart World, we weren’t the only ones with serious concerns about whether Nintendo would fill the new open world with meaningful content or just give us an empty world to race around in.
Now we can give the all-clear: There are missions You start them by driving over the P-Switches familiar from Mario games. What happens next is a surprise. Sometimes we have to collect blue coins under time pressure, sometimes we have to drive through checkpoints without hitting any obstacles.
You can see more in Nintendo Direct starting at minute 12:16:
Of course, it remains to be seen just how much variety there really is in the end But those who were expecting a soulless open world can breathe a sigh of relief for now.
You can also pursue other activities in the open world:
- Hidden coins: Only those who explore every corner of the game world will find the hidden gold coins. But what are they for? Nintendo isn’t saying yet, but we’re speculating and guessing: exclusive outfits for certain characters.
- Hidden fields: Also exciting are areas of ground in the open world that are visually reminiscent of the item fields in the original SNES game Super Mario Kart. Similar to the P-Switches, you can expect a specific entertaining challenge that you have to complete.
- Photo mode: We already knew about the option to take your own pictures to your heart’s content with a wide range of possibilities.
Modes, tracks, and team battles
Nintendo Direct has revealed many more exciting details, including:
- Battle Mode: The ever-popular PvP mode is back. You can choose between the classic mode, where you shoot each other’s balloons, or the
Coin Runners
variant. Here, you collect as many coins as possible, but if you get hit, you lose some of them, of course.
- Time trial: If you want to learn the tracks by heart and hone your driving skills, you can do so at your leisure in time trial mode. Thanks to the online connection, you can also compete against the ghosts of other players and try to beat their times.
- Old tracks with a new look: In addition to many new race tracks, old favorites are also making a comeback, including fan favorites such as Toad’s Factory, Peach Beach, and Wario’s Galleon Wreck.
- Team multiplayer: Instead of racing against each other in a maximum of two teams, as in previous installments, you can now create up to four groups. This should maximize the chaos on the track even further.
- Rewind option: In Mario Kart World, similar to Forza or the Codemaster racing games, you can turn back time to undo driving mistakes. But be careful, your opponents will continue driving undeterred. So you may lose a lot of positions.
- Rainbow Road: The latest edition of the track loved and feared by Mario Kart fans alike must first be unlocked this time around. How? By finishing all cups in first place.
On June 5, 2025, Mario fans will be treated to a wealth of content right from the start of the new console. It’s quite possible that Nintendo hasn’t revealed all the features yet. There are still a few weeks to go until the release.
How do you like the gameplay? Were you expecting more from the open world, or are you satisfied with the activities shown so far? Let us know what you think in the comments!
