Mario Kart World
| Mario Kart World | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo EPD |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Directors |
|
| Producer | Kosuke Yabuki |
| Designer | Shintaro Jikumaru |
| Programmer | Kenta Sato |
| Artist | Masaaki Ishikawa |
| Composers |
|
| Series | Mario Kart |
| Platform | Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Release | June 5, 2025 |
| Genre | Kart racing |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Mario Kart World is a 2025 kart racing game developed by Nintendo EPD for the Nintendo Switch 2. As in previous Mario Kart games, players control Mario characters as they race against opponents. World introduces an open-world design and mode, off-roading techniques, an elimination mode, and unlockable costumes for the playable characters. Races support up to 24 players, twice as many as previous Mario Kart games.
EPD began developing Mario Kart World for the Nintendo Switch in 2017, shortly before the release of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Feeling they had already perfected the core racing gameplay, the team introduced open-world elements; the title Mario Kart World was chosen over Mario Kart 9 to signify the new approach. Development moved to the Switch 2 in 2020 due to hardware limitations. The soundtrack, composed by a team led by Atsuko Asahi, features over 200 tracks, including rearrangements of themes from across the Mario franchise.
Nintendo released Mario Kart World on June 5, 2025, as a launch game for the Switch 2. It is the best-selling Nintendo Switch 2 game at 14.03 million copies and received positive reviews, with praise for its gameplay and innovations, but criticism for certain design choices.