Just days before launch, Mario Kart World producer Kosuke Yabuki has spilled some juicy new details about the upcoming racer, and trust us, this ain’t your classic lap-around-Peach’s-Castle situation.
For the first time in franchise history, Mario Kart World is ditching linear tracks in favor of a massive, interconnected map that’s begging to be explored.
In an interview with The Verge, Yabuki explained that the game’s world is more than just big—it’s designed for off-roading, open exploration, and crazy freedom.
You’ll still be racing as your favorite Super Mario characters, but instead of following one set path, you’ll be choosing your own, with multiple entry and exit points. It’s a whole new vibe.
One standout feature in the new design? Binocular stations. These handy spots let you scout the Free Roam sections and get a sense of where you’re headed before you zoom off. It’s kind of like sightseeing… except you’re in a go-kart going 80 MPH.
And if you’re wondering where exactly this massive map fits into the Mario universe, Yabuki’s got an answer: it’s not the canon Mushroom Kingdom.
That’s right—while the Mushroom Kingdom made its big-screen debut in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the world in Mario Kart World is a fresh take.
You’ll still see nostalgic touches like question mark blocks and warp pipes, but the geography is built specifically to fit the game’s expansive design.
Mountains, deserts, wild terrain—you name it, it’s all been scaled and sculpted to make open-world karting awesome.
Yabuki admitted that the course design was a beast to pull off:
“We knew when we came up with this idea that it really would be a big change for the series, but we had no idea at the time how many people, how much time, and how much effort that would require to actually achieve it.”
And just when fans thought that was the last big update before launch—bam! Nintendo made one more surprise move: the game’s file size has been reduced.
Yep, a few days before go-time, they shrunk it down. While we don’t know exactly why, it’s probably to help manage that 256 GB internal storage on the new Nintendo Switch 2, which launches the same day.
Oh, and a heads up: if you’re buying Mario Kart World digitally, you’ll get access one day earlier than physical buyers. So maybe that’s your cue to clear some space, update your system, and start planning your first detour off the beaten kart path.
One thing’s clear—Mario Kart World is rewriting the racing rulebook, and fans are just a few hours away from experiencing it for themselves. Let’s-a gooo!
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