Mario Kart World: Characters, Courses, Game Modes, and Everything You Need to Know

Mario Kart World is a massive update to the Mario Kart series, the biggest since the introduction of anti-gravity racing in Mario Kart 8 in 2014. Though many fans expected it to be called Mario Kart 9, Nintendo chose the name ‘Mario Kart World’ to highlight its new open-world design. Launching on June 5, 2025, as a key game for the new Nintendo Switch 2, it expands the already popular franchise with 24-player races, a connected open world to explore, and a huge roster of 50 playable characters.

I’ve been following Mario Kart World since it launched, and whether you’re a day-one player or still thinking about getting it, I’ve put together everything you need to know! This guide covers all the characters, all the courses, and even what’s coming in the 2026 updates. It’s a complete rundown for any fan!

Release Date, Price, and Platform

Mario Kart World became available around the globe on June 5, 2025, and was a launch title for the new Nintendo Switch 2 console. It was released on the same day as the console itself, serving as a key game for the new hardware.

The game costs $80 on its own. You can also get it in a bundle with a new Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World for $499.99. It’s not compatible with the original Nintendo Switch.

Mario Kart World has been a massive commercial success. It sold over 5.63 million copies in its first month and nearly all Switch 2 owners bought it – an impressive 96% attach rate. By the end of 2025, sales reached 14.03 million, making it the best-selling game on the platform. The game’s quality was also recognized with a “Best Sports/Racing Game” award at The Game Awards 2025.

Mario Kart World Characters: Full Roster

Mario Kart World has the biggest character selection of any game in the series, with 50 different racers to choose from. These characters fall into three groups: those available from the start, main characters you can unlock, and unique creature racers.

Starter Characters (32)

32 characters are available from the moment you boot up the game, including all the series staples:

Okay, so as a huge fan, when I think of the Mushroom Kingdom, a bunch of characters immediately pop into my head! There’s Mario, of course, and his brother Luigi, along with Princess Peach and Yoshi. You’ve got the classic villain Bowser, and all his minions like the Koopa Troopas. Then there’s the quirky crew – Toad and Toadette, and even Wario and Waluigi! It’s awesome seeing the baby versions of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina too. And let’s not forget Pauline, who started it all, and the mysterious Shy Guy! Seriously, the whole cast is just iconic.

Unlockable Main Characters (7)

You can unlock each of these simply by finishing any cup in Grand Prix mode – your placement doesn’t matter.

Character	Unlock Requirement
Donkey Kong	Complete the Mushroom Cup
Daisy	Complete the Flower Cup
Rosalina	Complete the Star Cup
Lakitu	Complete the Shell Cup
Birdo	Complete the Banana Cup
King Boo	Complete the Leaf Cup
Bowser Jr.	Complete the Lightning Cup

Creature Racers (26)

Okay, so you don’t have to grind to unlock all the racers. A few are ready to go right away, but the rest unlock as you race. Here’s the cool part: Mario Kart World lets you play as a bunch of those smaller characters and enemies from the Mario games! It works through this item called the Kamek Orb. When someone uses it, racers nearby get turned into one of these creatures temporarily. But here’s the kicker – the first time you get transformed into a specific creature, it unlocks permanently as a racer you can choose anytime. It’s a really fun way to unlock stuff just by playing!

The game features a wide variety of enemies, including Goombas, Wigglers, Dry Bones, Hammer Bros, Nabbits, Piranha Plants, Sidesteppers, Monty Moles, Stingbys, Penguins, Cheep Cheeps, Cows, Para-Biddybuds, Pokeys, Snowmen, Cataquacks, Chargin’ Chucks, Coin Coffers, Conkdors, Dolphins, Fish Bones, Peepas, Piantas, Rocky Wrenches, Spikes, and Swoops.

Several new characters are joining the playable roster in this Mario Kart game, such as Cataquack, Dolphin, and Conkdor. This marks the first time players will be able to race as these characters.

Plus, you can unlock alternate outfits for 24 of the game’s main characters. You’ll find Dash Food items during races and while exploring the open world, and collecting these will unlock the new costumes.

All Courses and Cups

Mario Kart World features 30 different courses, combining 16 brand-new tracks with 14 fan-favorite courses from older games. Unlike recent Mario Kart titles, the game doesn’t separate new and classic tracks into different cups—each cup contains a mix of both.

Both Crown City and Peach Stadium show up in multiple cups, and each time they appear, the design is a little different.

Grand Prix Cups

Mushroom Cup

Mario Bros. Circuit (New)
Crown City (New)
Whistlestop Summit (New)
DK Spaceport (New)

Flower Cup

Desert Hills (Mario Kart DS)
Shy Guy Bazaar (Mario Kart 7)
Wario Stadium (Mario Kart 64)
Airship Fortress (Mario Kart DS)

Star Cup

DK Pass (Mario Kart DS)
Starview Peak (New)
Sky-High Sundae (Mario Kart 8 DLC)
Wario Shipyard (Mario Kart 7)

Shell Cup

Koopa Troopa Beach (Super Mario Kart)
Faraway Oasis (New)
Crown City (New)
Peach Stadium (alternate layout) (New)

Banana Cup

Peach Beach (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
Salty Salty Speedway (New)
Dino Dino Jungle (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
Great ? Block Ruins (New)

Leaf Cup

Cheep Cheep Falls (New)
Dandelion Depths (New)
Boo Cinema (New)
Dry Bones Burnout (New)

Lightning Cup

Moo Moo Meadows (Mario Kart Wii)
Choco Mountain (Mario Kart 64)
Toad’s Factory (Mario Kart Wii)
Bowser’s Castle (New)

Special Cup (Unlockable — complete all seven standard cups and clear Rainbow Road)

Acorn Heights (New)
Mario Circuit (New)
Peach Stadium (New)
Rainbow Road (New)

As a huge Mario Kart fan, I’m so excited to see tracks from almost every game in the series making a comeback! They’re including courses from classics like Mario Kart 64, Double Dash, the DS version, Wii, 7, and 8. Seeing favorites like Choco Mountain and Moo Moo Meadows completely rebuilt with the Switch 2’s power is just incredible – it’s a real treat for those of us who’ve been playing for years!

Game Modes

Mario Kart World has more gameplay options than ever before. Here’s a look at all the different modes you can enjoy.

Grand Prix

I’m so excited they brought back the classic racing format! Basically, you race through four different courses in each cup, and the better you place, the more points you get. The goal is to have the highest total score across all the cups. There are seven cups to race in right away, and if you manage to beat them all, a special, extra-tough cup unlocks. What’s really cool is how they’ve changed things between races – instead of going to menus, you actually drive your car through the open world to get to the next track. It’s a really smooth and immersive experience!

Knockout Tour

Mario Kart World’s newest mode, Knockout Tour, is a thrilling competition where players race through six tracks at a time. Unlike regular cups, the last-place drivers are eliminated after each stage, making the competition increasingly fierce. With eight different rallies to choose from, using various tracks throughout the game’s world, only one player can ultimately claim victory.

Free Roam

This is the first game in the series where you can freely drive around the entire world map, even when you’re not in a race. With Free Roam, you can explore at your own speed and find secret missions, Peach Medallions, Question Panels, and other hidden items. There are 394 P-Switches, 150 Question Panels, and 200 Peach Medallions to discover. It’s also the best place to find Dash Food, which you can use to unlock new costumes for your characters.

Battle Mode

Battle Mode features three sub-modes:

Balloon Battle — Pop opponents’ balloons using items while protecting your own. Lose all your balloons and you’re out.
Bob-omb Blast — Added in the Version 1.6.0 update (March 2026), this fan-favorite mode from Double Dash returns. Players use only Bob-ombs to burst rivals’ balloons, with the ability to hold up to 10 at once. Distance is controlled by how long you hold the throw button.
Coin Runners — Collect the most coins within the time limit while using items to steal from opponents.

Battle Mode features eight different arenas. Six are redesigned from existing race tracks, one is a classic from the Nintendo 64 game, and another is completely original.

VS Race

Create private game rooms with rules you can fully customize. VS Race mode lets you choose any course, even those not part of the main cups, and tweak the settings however you want—ideal for playing with friends locally.

Time Trials

Challenge yourself in Time Trials by racing alone against the clock with a standard kart – three mushrooms are provided, but you can’t use items taken from other racers. It’s a great way to learn each track and improve your racing technique.

Ghost Mode

Download other players’ fastest race recordings and compete against them. This is a great way to learn new skills and improve your own performance.

New and Returning Items

Mario Kart World features both classic items and three brand-new additions to help you race to victory.

New Items

Item	Effect
Coin Shell	Fires forward along the center of the track, dropping coins in its wake before exploding into 10 more coins. Damages any driver it contacts along the way.
Kamek Orb	Summons Kamek, who transforms nearby drivers ahead of you into random creature racers for a limited time. Also the unlock mechanism for creature racers.
Dash Food	Provides a small speed boost and a chance to unlock an alternate costume for the character you are currently racing as.

Returning Items

The game features a complete set of returning items, including Bananas, Triple Bananas, Green Shells, Triple Green Shells, Red Shells, Triple Red Shells, the Spiny Shell (Blue Shell), the Super Horn, Mushrooms, Triple Mushrooms, Golden Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Ice Flowers, Boomerang Flowers, Bob-ombs, Bloopers, Boos, Bullet Bills, Lightning, Mega Mushrooms, Feathers, Super Stars, Hammers, Coins, and the Coin Box (represented by the ? Box).

Update 1.6.0 made several key changes to gameplay balance. The Bullet Bill is now quicker and easier to control, while the Boomerang’s effectiveness has been reduced. Invincibility periods after actions like spinning or crashing have also been tweaked – heavier characters now have a longer window of protection.

New Techniques

Mario Kart World introduces new ways to move and control your kart, letting you do more than ever before on the race track.

Charge Jump — Hold the accelerator and brake simultaneously to build up sparks, then tilt the stick and release to perform a directional jump. Useful for shortcuts and dodging attacks.
Wall Riding — Drive along certain walls and vertical surfaces for alternate racing lines.
Rail Riding — Grind along rails for sustained speed boosts and access to hidden paths.
Rewind — A new feature exclusive to Time Trials and Free Roam that lets you rewind time and retry your run, useful for perfecting lines or replaying moments in Photo Mode.

These sit alongside returning mechanics like drifting, slipstreaming, and trick boosts.

Latest Updates (2026)

Nintendo has continued to support Mario Kart World with free post-launch updates:

Version 1.4.0 (December 2, 2025) — A major update adding Custom Items to VS Race and Battle Mode, allowing players to choose which items appear. Also added music track display on the pause menu and multiple online multiplayer improvements.
Version 1.4.1 (December 15, 2025) — Bug fixes including a controller disconnect issue affecting Time Trial ghost data.
Version 1.5.0 (January 21, 2026) — Added team races to Knockout Tour in online and wireless play. Added Polish language localization.
Version 1.6.0 (March 2026) — The biggest update yet. Added Bob-omb Blast to Battle Mode, adjusted Bullet Bill and Boomerang balance, tweaked post-crash invincibility based on weight class, and delivered roughly 50 bug fixes and balancing adjustments.
Version 1.6.1 (April 2026) — Minor stability and bug fixes following the 1.6.0 release.

Rumors indicate Nintendo is working on more games for 2026, but so far, only Bob-omb Blast has been officially announced.

Tips for New Players

Welcome to Mario Kart World! Here’s some helpful advice for new players:

Collect coins constantly. Your top speed increases as you collect coins, maxing out at 20. Every 100 coins you accumulate also unlocks new vehicle parts.
Hold onto the Super Horn. It is the only item in the game that can block a Blue Shell. If you are in first place and you get one, do not use it on anything else.
Use Free Roam to unlock characters. Driving around the open world is the fastest way to encounter Kamek transformations and unlock the full creature roster.
Learn the Charge Jump early. It opens up shortcuts on several tracks and gives you an escape option when items are flying.
Complete P-Switch missions. Clearing 40 P-Switch missions and finishing the Special Cup unlocks Mirror Mode, which flips every track for a fresh challenge.
Experiment with weight classes. Heavier characters now get longer invincibility after a hit, which matters in 24-player races where collisions happen constantly.
Explore for Dash Food. Free Roam has different food types in different regions. Each food corresponds to a specific character costume, so explore widely to collect them all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mario Kart World available on the original Nintendo Switch?

Mario Kart World is only available on the Nintendo Switch 2; you can’t play it on the older Switch or Switch Lite consoles.

How many players can race at once?

Mario Kart Tour now lets up to 24 players race against each other, which is a big increase from the 12-player limit in previous games like Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

How much does Mario Kart World cost?

The game costs $80 on its own. You can also get a Nintendo Switch 2 bundled with Mario Kart World for $499.99.

How many characters are in Mario Kart World?

There are 50 playable characters in total — 32 available from the start and 18 unlockable.

How many tracks does Mario Kart World have?

The game includes 30 different courses organized into eight cups. These courses are a blend of 16 brand new tracks and 14 fan-favorite courses from past Mario Kart titles.

Does Mario Kart World have DLC?

Nintendo has been adding new features to the game for free, such as the Bob-omb Blast mode. However, as of April 2026, they haven’t announced any paid downloadable content, though recent leaks hint that more content might be coming soon.

Can you play Mario Kart World offline?

You can play Grand Prix, Time Trials, VS Race, Battle Mode, and Free Roam without an internet connection. However, Knockout Tour, Ghost Mode, and playing with others online require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. For the latest on Nintendo Switch 2 releases, check out our game release dates page.

2026-05-14 00:51