It has been 10 years since the release of Mario Kart 8. Since then, Mario Kart fans have received Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2017, Mario Kart Tour in 2019, and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit in 2020. There’s been no Mario Kart 9 though. In fact, there hasn’t even been any word from Nintendo of Mario Kart 9, or whatever the next mainline Mario Kart installment ends up being called. There have been rumors though, and many of these rumors have pegged the release of a new Mario Kart at the launch of the Nintendo Switch, which itself is expected to release sometime next year. The latest rumor about Mario Kart 9 challenges this though.
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The rumor comes the way of well-known Nintendo insider Samus Hunter, a source that has proven reliable on numerous occasions in the past. Most recently, they relayed word that Xenoblade Chronicles X was coming to Nintendo Switch right before the official announcement back in October.
According to the insider, Mario Kart 9 will not be a launch game for the Nintendo Switch 2, whenever the console ends up releasing. Whether it will release in the same year, 2025, is not specified. The lack of specifications may suggest the release date is up in the air, but this is just speculation.
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It wouldn’t be surprising to hear that Mario Kart 9 needs more time. After all, according to rumors dating back to 2023, it is set to be one of the most expensive games Nintendo has ever made, a surprising tidbit, if true, for a kart racer. However, it is less surprising when you consider Mario Kart 8 is the best-selling Nintendo game of all time.
According to this previous rumor, the game looks “absolutely dropping,” with Nintendo putting a ton of investment, in particular, in the visual fidelity of the game. And when you consider Mario Kart 8 has been the main Mario Kart offer for a decade and counting, it makes sense Nintendo would want to ensure Mario Kart 9 will stand the test of time, as it will likely span more than one Nintendo console generation.
That said, this is just a rumor, much like this new release date information. As always, rumors should be taken with a grain of salt, no matter the source. Further, even if this is information is accurate, it is also subject to change that could render it inaccurate over time.
As for Nintendo, it has not commented on this rumor. Considering it rarely comments on rumors, and that it has not commented on a single rumor pertaining to the new Mario Kart, we do not suspect this will change, but if it does we will update the story accordingly. In the meantime, for more coverage on all things Mario Kart — including all of the latest Mario Kart news, all of the latest Mario Kart rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Mario Kart deals — click here.
