Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct: new free roam details confirmed and everything announced about the Switch 2 game

Good afternoon, gamers, and welcome to the beginning of my Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct coverage!

I'm going to be walking you through the build-up to the highly anticipated presentation, sharing the latest details as they come in, plus plenty of rumors and some personal predictions about what might be in store.

Nintendo officially confirms the broadcast’s length

Nintendo has confirmed that the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct will last for approximately 15 minutes. That’s honestly much shorter than I was expecting and significantly below the roughly 40 or so minute runtime of most Nintendo Direct broadcasts.

This is undoubtedly going to be disappointing news for some, but I’m hopeful that Nintendo will still be able to squeeze in some interesting new details.

What are we going to see?

Given that short run time, I’m now wondering what exactly is going to be shown off. I imagine that the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct will be more like an extended overview trailer than a traditional Nintendo Direct, presumably giving us a breakdown of the game’s main modes.

I’m expecting plenty of time on the Grand Prix mode, focusing on how it differs from previous entries. If you need a quick refresher, Mario Kart World features a more open world that sees you driving between race courses rather than a simple transition or loading screen.

I think we will also be shown much more of the Knockout Tour mode, which is effectively a Battle Royale take on Mario Kart. 24 players face off in a fast-paced race, with checkpoints which see those at the back gradually eliminated.

The Free Roam mode will also likely be there, ideally detailing the kinds of activities that will be available in the open world. I’m personally hoping for some information on any potential collectibles or mini challenges, which would help make exploration seem more worthwhile.

Show me the starting roster!

On that note, I'm hoping for full confirmation of the starting roster of racers. So far we have seen more than a whopping 50, yes you read that right: 50, playable characters, which is far more than any previous Mario Kart game.

The full list of confirmed characters so far is as follows:

• Baby Daisy
• Baby Luigi
• Baby Mario
• Baby Peach
• Baby Rosalina
• Birdo
• Bowser
• Bowser Jr.
• Cataquack (new)
• Chargin' Chuck
• Cheep Cheep (new)
• Coin Coffer (new)
• Conkdor (new)
• Cow (new)
• Daisy
• Dolphin (new)
• Donkey Kong
• Dry Bones
• Fish Bone (new)
• Goomba
• Hammer Bro.
• King Boo
• Koopa
• Lakitu
• Luigi
• Mario
• Monty Mole (new)
• Nabbit
• Para-Biddybud
• Pauline
• Peach
• Peepa (new)
• Penguin (new)
• Pianta (new)
• Piranha Plant (new)
• Pokey (new)
• Rocky Wrench (new)
• Rosalina
• Shy Guy
• Sidestepper (new)
• Snowman (new)
• Spike (new)
• Stingby (new)
• Swoop (new)
• Toad
• Toadette
• Waluigi
• Wario
• Wiggler
• Yoshi

We've also seen plenty of unique outfits, though right now it's not clear whether these are just cosmetics to unlock or something a little deeper. Hopefully we'll find out soon...

Will rainbow road return?

There's one iconic track that feels like it's been missing from everything we've heard about Mario Kart World so far... I'm of course talking about the legendary rainbow road, which I think will make appearance at the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct.

I suspect that it will be the very last track on the game's final cup, which would make for a pretty incredible send-off.

The previous entry in the series, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features not just one or two, but five distinct versions of rainbow road so it seems absurd to suggest that we won't get at least one version of it this time around.

What about social features?

It's clear that social features are a big feature of the Nintendo Switch 2 console. It has a dedicated button for its chat functions and an official camera accessory, after all.

We've already seen footage of players sharing their screen in an online game of Mario Kart World and I would expect plenty of that kind of thing to show up in the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct.

Maybe we'll be shown the matchmaking systems in detail, or learn about some of the other cool things you can do while playing online.

Yep, we've already played it

My colleague Rhys Wood (no relation) and I have now both had the chance to experience Mario Kart World for ourselves.

Rhys tried it out back at the Paris Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event, while I had the chance to go hands-on more recently at the latest Nintendo Switch 2 Experience day in London last week.

I'll be littering my own anecdotes from my time with the game throughout this live coverage, but if you want something more concrete you can check out Rhys' detailed Mario Kart World hands-on preview.

You can tune in on the Nintendo Today app

Nintendo has confirmed that the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct will be broadcast on the Nintendo Today app. This is on top of the usual YouTube and Twitch channels, which is an interesting move.

It seems as though Nintendo is dedicated to positioning the app as the one-stop-shop for all Nintendo news.

It's a novel idea, though I can't imagine that anyone other than the most hardcore Nintendo fans will be keen to download a dedicated app to watch something that is already been streamed via other, more popular platforms.

Didn't manage to catch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct?

You can view the trailer shown off at the Direct for yourself below so that you're fully up to speed ahead of the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct tomorrow.

YouTube

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What are you most excited for?

When I played Mario Kart World, the thing that excited me most has got to be that massive roster of characters. It sounds a bit silly to say, but it's hard not to love the sheer variety on offer here while you're scrolling through the character menu.

I was pretty disappointed by the selection on offer in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, though the addition of Peachette (an obscure favorite of mine) via the Booster Course Pass was very appreciated. Even so, the bulk of the choices were very samey.

We had 42 characters at launch, but that included seven Koopalings and four boring cosmetic variants in Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, Metal Mario, and the now infamous Pink Gold Peach.

Not only are there many more characters in Mario Kart World, but they all seem much more distinct. It seems like some characters even have a load of outfit variants to discover, further increasing the variety without taking up any more spots. Also, you can finally play as a cow - which is pretty rad.

Expect carnage in the stream chat

Here's one thing I can predict with confidence. The chat is going to be full of calls from fans to reduce the price of the console and the game.

This was the case throughout the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct and Treehouse: Live shows and I don't expect this next stream to be any different.

If you need a quick refresher, the Nintendo Switch 3 costs $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95. There is also a bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart World that comes in at $499.99 / £429.99 / AU$769.95.

Individually, a physical copy of Mario Kart World will $79.99 / £74.99.

Understandably, these prices have raised some eyebrows and I expect to see some frustrations vented tomorrow.

A look at the characters and vehicles

I managed to record some footage from my own Mario Kart World hands-on, so I'm to kick stuff off with this quick look at the character and vehicle roster.

These are all of the characters that were available to try during my demo, plus some interesting outfit variants like the adorable Burger Bud Toad.

It's nearing the end of the day on UK time, so I'm just about to head off for the evening!

I don't anticipate any major Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct in the next few hours, though stay tuned as I will be back first thing tomorrow morning to pick up where I left off and continue the coverage throughout the big day.

Good morning everyone! I'm back to continue our Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct live coverage.

The stream is set to kick off later today and there is just hours to go at this point, so I'll be walking you through everything that you need to know and how to prepare.

How to prepare

Want to know how best to prepare for the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct? Here are three top tips.

1. Make a note of the starting time

One of the most important things to do now that the stream is just hours away is to ensure that you won't miss the start time. The broadcast will begin at 6AM PT / 9AM ET / 2PM BST, so note that down and make sure that you will be free and able to watch.

If you can't tune into the stream itself, you can keep this page open throughout the day for the latest updates.

2. Sign up for a YouTube alert

Head over to the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct YouTube page and hit the 'Notify me' button on the bottom left-hand side of the video player. If the option isn't appearing, make sure that you are signed in with your YouTube account.

With this button pressed, YouTube will alert you when the stream begins via a push notification.

3. Temper your expectations

I'm expecting to learn a lot from the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct, but it is worth bearing in mind that this stream will only last for around 15 minutes.

This should be enough time to offer a significant deep dive into the game, but likely won't show off everything that it has to offer.

I would expect some details to remain unknown until closer to the launch date.

Time check: under three hours to go!

Here's your first time reminder!

Right now, there is just 2 hours and 40 minutes to go until the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct. That's plenty of time to get some things done, grab a quick snack, or go out for a walk before the stream begins.

Mario Kart World tracks so far

We've only seen a few Mario Kart World tracks in action so far, but I expect that to chance later today with the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct.

As a quick refresher, here are the ones we've already spotted, plus their original platforms if they're returning favorites:

• Mario Bros. Circuit
• Crown City
• DK Spaceport
• Whistlestop Summit
• Desert Hills (DS)
• Shy Guy Bazaar (DS)
• Wario Stadium (N64)
• Airship Fortress (DS)
• DK Pass (DS)
• Starview Peak
• Sky-High Sundae (Mobile)
• Wario Shipyard (3DS)
• Koopa Troopa Beach (SNES)
• Faraway Oasis
• Peach Stadium
• Moo Moo Meadows (Wii)
• Bowser's Castle

Your top questions, answered

And with that, I'm heading out for a quick lunch break!

I'll be back soon to continue my coverage.

Good day everyone! Rhys here, just taking over from Dash while he grabs a much-deserved tuna crunch. We're just a couple of hours away from the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct, and while it's going to be on the shorter side, I'm still looking forward to seeing what news and features will be revealed for the upcoming Switch 2 launch title.

Any predictions?

If you're as excited for Mario Kart World as I am, you're probably sat wondering what they could possibly show at today's Nintendo Direct presentation.

Me personally, I'd love a deeper dive into how the game's online play is going to function. For example, how is ranked play going to work this time around, and can we expect a more stable online experience? The latter thing I don't think Nintendo will be getting into today, of course, but some reassurance would be nice.

I would also love to know more about the Free Roam mode. We already know that you'll be able to drive across Mario Kart World's open map at your leisure, but can we expect secrets and collectibles a la the Forza Horizon series? Can we enter events seamlessly, such as Grand Prix and Knockout Tour, from just roaming about?

Hopefully we'll know for sure when the Nintendo Direct presentation goes live in less than a couple hours from now.

Time check: less than an hour and a half to go!

We're almost at the start line, gamers. The Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct presentation begins in roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes at time of writing. If you're at work, be sure to plan your lunch breaks accordingly! And if you can't, fear not; Nintendo always keeps its Nintendo Direct presentations available to view on its global YouTube channels after the fact. Just be wary of spoilers!

Farewell gamers, our time together was brief, but I'll now be heading off for lunch.

I'll hand you back to Dash who'll be manning the blog for the rest of the day with coverage of the Nintendo Direct and his thoughts on all the news after the fact!

Push notifications are going out

Dash here once again, kicking things off with this interest nugget of info.

If you have the Nintendo Today app, consider checking your phone for a push notification that might have just gone out.

The notification states that the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct is "about to begin" - though that's a bit of a stretch as there's still almost an hour tro go!

Prediction: some kind of story mode

This topic has been the subject of much speculation on social media, but for my money I reckon we might be in with a chance of seeing a Mario Kart World story mode detailed later today.

It seems highly likely that there's going to be something to do in the open world, and a potential story mode with distinct missions to complete could really tie the experience together.

I've seen some users speculating that the story might be focused on rainbow road, judging by some visual clues spotted around the world so far.

The addition of a narrative would be a first for the Mario Kart series, but is definitely a feature that many fans have been calling out for over the years. We'll just have to wait and see...

Do you have any predictions or hopes for the upcoming Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct?

Share your thoughts by tagging us in a post on X / Twitter and for a chance to be featured in our live coverage!

Time check: just 20 minutes to go

Get ready gamers, the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct will be here before you know it! Right now there is just 20 minutes to go until the broadcast begins.

It's time to start thinking about tuning in and potentially grab a quick snack and drink for the show.

Time check: we're very close now!

We are just 10, I repeat 10, minutes away from the start of the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct.

Don't wait around, get a tab open with the stream now so you're ready for it to begin.

You can also tune in below:

YouTube

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The Mario Kart World Direct is here!

Thousands of viewers are tuning into the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct, which is live right now!

The stream is only just beginning, so if you're only now catching up on everything there's no need to worry - you haven't missed very much.

Hang tight for a barrage of live updates now that the broadcast is underway.

The Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct is beginning!

We're getting what looks like an overview trailer, beginning with an introduction to the courses.

Courses are now being shown off, so far the big one to catch my eye is Crown City! It looks absolutely fantastic and there's something so cool about seeing Super Mario characters in a big city, and it's really giving me Super Mario Odyssey vibes.

We just had official confirmation that Mario will be in the game! Who could have seen this coming?

We're now moving into the two main race styles: Grand Prix and Knockout Tour.

This isn't anything new yet, but it's definitely a good recap.

We've just seen the cups on offer, each one with four courses each.

Mushroom Cup looks like quite a basic one, with Mario Brothers Circuit and Crown City to begin.

Rainbow road has been hinted at!

The presenter just suggested that rainbow road will be unlocked when you've completed every cup!

It wasn't shown, so I'm expecting some kind of radical new design to surprise us on launch day.

Knockout Tour was just explained, but there was no new information.

Now onto the new items! Coin Shell, Ice Flower, Hammer, and Mega Mushroom have all been confirmed.

Feather and Kamek (who transforms your rivals with magic spells) have also been shown!

Some newcomer friendly features now, Smart Steering and Tilt Controls will be available at launch.

Here's one for me - Dash Food!

These snacks transform your rider, unlocking new outfits that you can choose from the character select screen.

One for the pro players: Charge Jump! You can now charge and release a jump in order to leap over obstacles or grind along certain surfaces. Jumping towards a wall will let you travel on it for a short time.

There's also going to be a rewind feature in the Free Roam mode! Mario Kart x Forza?

The Time Trials mode is back! With the ability to race against the ghosts of players from all around the world.

There will also be a VS Race mode, with plenty of customizability to help you create your perfect competition.

Balloon Battle and Coin Runner! These are modes that I absolutely love, and they look great in Mario Kart World.

Free Roam now! Did I just see an elephant roaming the desert area? It seems like there's going to be plenty to discover here.

We're seeing P Switch challenges, which are little missions you are able to trigger and complete to improve your diving ability.

This is on top of hidden coins and hidden panels to discover.

Free Roam will also let you play around with a photo mode, which I can't wait to try.

Some more technical information here.

Up to four players will be able to play on one system.

There is also local wireless play, with up to eight players and two players per system.

We're seeing plenty of footage of playing with friends.

Now on to some game chat features! Nothing new here, I think, but we will be able to talk with friends while playing.

The game will also be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera accessory.

And that's a wrap!

Not a huge amount of new information, but definitely some cool new details on the Free Roam mode.

What did you think?

Need a recap?

If you're one of those people who loves to pore over every detail, you will be pleased to hear that the entire Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct is now available to watch in full via the Nintendo YouTube channel.

You can see it below:

YouTube

Watch On

More details on the free roam challenges

The Free Roam mode was definitely one of the big focus points of the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct.

You could read back our live coverage for our impressions as the details emerged, or read a full write up in our standalone story below.

• Read more: Thankfully Mario Kart World will have some open-world challenges in Free Roam mode

Bite-size catch-up clips

Nintendo has started posting some of clips from the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct to social media, which might be perfect if you want to catch up in a bite-sized format!

Here's one on the courses in the game:

Another clip from Nintendo here! This time a recap of the characters and outfits.

Next up we have a look at the new tricks that you will be able to play around with!

More details on Dash Food

Nintendo has provided a small written summary of the new Dash Food mechanic in a recent X / Twitter post.

It reads: "eating these meals can unlock outfits inspired by your meal, which you can later select from the character selection screen. Be sure to try them all!"

Another little Nintendo clip, showcasing the rewind feature.

This looks like it could be an absolute blessing in Free Roam, taking the hassle out of experimenting with different routes or trying to learn how to perform various tricks.

See you at the next one!

We're now nearing the end of the day here in the UK, so I'm going to start winding down my live coverage!

I'm going to round everything off with a final reminder that Mario Kart World is set to launch alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025.

The console costs $449.99 / £395.99 on its own, but you can also pay $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle that includes a digital copy of the game.

Although pre-orders have been delayed in the US and Canada, if you're in the UK and want to maximize your chances of securing a unit don't forget to visit our Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders live page for all the latest stock updates.

If you're currently still weighing up whether to upgrade from the Nintendo Switch to the Nintendo Switch 2, then our highly detailed Nintendo Switch 2 vs Nintendo Switch comparison might be worth a read.

With all that said, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon for the next Nintendo event.