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Development of Mario Kart World began at the time of the first Switch console’s launch.

Mario Kart World Has Been in Development Since the Launch of the First Switch Console

Just a few hours ago, Nintendo released the latest episode of its Ask the Developer series, this time focusing on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 title Mario Kart World. This could potentially be the standout game for the new console.

Its predecessor, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, was a massive hit when it launched alongside the original Switch. To date, it has sold over 65 million copies, making it one of the all-time best-selling premium games.

Kosuke Yabuki, a producer from the Entertainment Planning & Development Department, revealed during the interview that the team began prototyping Mario Kart World even before Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released on the Switch, with full development starting in 2017.

While working on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, we were already brainstorming ideas for the next Mario Kart game. We started prototyping in March 2017 and officially began the project at the end of the year. We felt thatMario Kart 8 Deluxe had perfected the series’ traditional race-based gameplay. This time, we wanted to expand into a larger world, so we started creating a map that would allow for this kind of gameplay.

This timeline is unusually long for a Nintendo game, but the team faced significant challenges, such as increasing the number of players from 12 to 24 and introducing an open world. These challenges became far more manageable after the decision to move the project to the Nintendo Switch 2.

Kenta Sato (Programming Director): Developing for the original Nintendo Switch system was challenging because we couldn’t include everything we wanted. We had to compromise on visuals, resolution, and even considered lowering the frame rate to 30 fps in some cases. It was a tough balancing act.

Kosuke Yabuki: We kept pushing the project forward, delaying some features to a later date. At one point, things were getting complicated, but releasing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass gave us more time. That’s when we considered moving to the Nintendo Switch 2, which opened up new possibilities. It was a much-needed opportunity to realize our vision.