Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct livestream live today

The Nintendo headlines have been overrun with the fear of price hikes and potential new pre-order date rumors, but we are taking a short and sweet reprieve in the form of the official Mario Kart World Direct showcase today. As we reported shortly after the game’s debut, Nintendo has had an official, dedicated Direct show set for weeks and today is the day.

Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct livestream live today

While millions of us are really just hoping to catch a glimpse of the new Switch 2 pre-order date during the livestream today, this morning it’s all about some new details on the game Nintendo is hoping can still usher in what many previously predicted would be the biggest console launch in gaming history.

Whether Nintendo can actually pull that off amidst the uncertain times we all find ourselves in remains to be seen, but I for one am stoked to hear/see what else Nintendo might have to show us on its new console seller.

We have, after all, seen a ton on the new Mario Kart World already – the first-look teaser, the official debut trailer, and a couple lengthy Treehouse gameplay sessions included – but apparently Nintendo feels there’s still more to showcase. We have organized all of the official footage, trailers, and gameplay released thus far for you right here.

We have also already made some predictions and detailed some things we will still want to know about the game – just how open world this open world is, more on the rail grinding and wall rides, exactly how those “races” between races work, and some fun stuff like the latest iteration of Rainbow World. It’ll only be a few hours before we (hopefully) get all of our questions answered now.

Nintendo has already confirmed the livestream will be a relatively short one with a 15-minute runtime, but that’s more than enough to give up the goods – please do not be all about GameChat…actually I hope they don’t even mention it once.

Today’s official Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct showcase is set to go live at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET and you can watch along with us down below:

Join us on April 17 at 6 a.m. PT to learn more about Mario Kart World for Nintendo Switch 2 in the Mario Kart World Direct. The livestream will be roughly 15 minutes.

Updating…

Mario Kart World Courses: Mario Bros. Circuit, Crown City, Salty Salty Speedway, Starview Peak, Boo Cinema, and reimagined courses from previous games
Mario Kart World new racers: Goomba, Spike, Cow, and more…
Mario Kart World Rainbow Road confirmed – “a certain colorful course will appear” if you finish all grand prix cups
New Mario Kart World items: Ice Flower, Hammer, Mega Mushroom, Feather, Bullet Bill, and more…
Drive-Thru snacks confirmed for Mario Kart World – different snacks come with alternative costumers for your character
New Mario Kart World “tricks” – rewind feature, wall rides, rail grinding, and more
Mario Kart World free roam mode does actually appear to be completely open-world: Hundreds of giant P-Switches to unlock missions and secret areas, hidden coin, more
Mario Kart World – Up to 8 players (2-players per system) in local online, 4-player split screen with one console, and up to 24 racers at once online
Nintendo just announced that the official Mario Kart Switch 2 bundle will be a a limited production only available until “Fall 2025” – you’ll presumably have to buy the game at the full $80 after that

Here are the official details from today’s Mario Kart World press release:

An Interconnected World: Drift, draft and drive your way around an interconnected world for the first time in a Mario Kart game. In Mario Kart World, the game’s courses are interspersed across the world with roads leading from one to the next – so players can experience navigating roads in between courses!
Grand Prix:Bring home the gold in Grand Prix, which consists of four different races to win each Cup – including the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup and more – held across the game’s world. And for the first time in the series, racers will need to drive from one course to the next as part of the Grand Prix! In Mushroom Cup, for example, you’ll start off racing the Mario Bros. Circuit, then the second race will have you covering the distance from Mario Bros. Circuit to Crown City. Conquer every Grand Prix Cup and you might just unlock a certain colorful course!
Knockout Tour: Race from one end of the world to the other in these extended rallies, with checkpoints dotted throughout. If you don’t make the cut, you’re out of the running, so buckle up for these non-stop sprints because you’ll need to keep pace to stay in the race. Your rivals aren’t the only hazards you’ll need to avoid on the road, either. Vehicles that shoot Bullet Bills, Hammer Bros. attacks, and other obstacles will find their way into this mode as well. Drive to survive and keep your eyes on first place!
Free Roam: There is plenty to discover in Mario Kart World that goes beyond racing. So when you’re not aiming for first place, take the scenic route in Free Roam! Explore panoramic vistas, go (way) off-road, see the seas and find secrets like hidden coins, or hit P Switches to take on hundreds of missions that can help improve your driving skills outside of races. You can also take in-game photos while free roaming, so take a road trip and strike a pose at the sights.
Battle Mode: Battle Mode is back and more hectic than ever! Secure the gold by collecting the most coins in Coin Runners or burst your rivals’ balloons with items in Balloon Battle. If you pop all of your rival’s balloons, they are out!
New Techniques: Leap over obstacles and more with the new Charge Jump move. Use it to jump onto rails that you can grind, dodge attacks from your rivals and even jump toward a wall to ride on it for a short time. You can also chain together wall-rides to uncover hidden routes. Miss your mark during Free Roam or single-player mode? Just use Rewind to reset your vehicle to its original position – this is a great way to undo a driving mishap, but keep in mind that your rivals will still move normally while rewinding, so try not to lose your lead!
24 Racers: Mario Kart World features races with up to 24 participants from around the world – the most in Mario Kart series history! Modes like Grand Prix and Knockout Tour allow up to 24 players to compete, filling the game world with friends and familiar faces and plenty of rivals to vie for first place.
Fun With Everyone, Anywhere: Mario Kart World offers multiple ways to play together, locally or online. Up to four players can race split screen on the same system. The game also supports local wireless play where up to eight players (with up to two players per Nintendo Switch 2 system) can race together. And players from around the world can join a race or battle in online play. In Free Roam, you can also meet up with your crew anywhere in this game’s world. Drive around, see where your friends are on the map and warp to them instantly. Then race, battle with custom rules or take a road trip to see the sights together.
Even More Fun with GameChat: GameChat*** features an expanded online experience in the Mario Kart World game. Use the Nintendo Switch 2 built-in microphone to voice chat with friends while driving together or take a backseat and watch each other’s game screens. You can enjoy GameChat without needing a Nintendo Switch Online membership until March 31, 2026. After that, a Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required.
CameraPlay: If you have a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera (sold separately)***, your face will show up beside your racer, and you can see your friends’ reactions when you play online! When playing locally with family and friends on the same system, a single camera can detect up to four people’s faces that you can see in-game as well.
Courses: Mario Kart World has many races to enjoy across its vast world. Rule the roads on brand new courses like Mario Bros. Circuit, the modern streets of Crown City, the snowy trails of Starview Peak and the spirited Boo Cinema, just to name a few. Nostalgic courses from previous Mario Kart games have also been reimagined to feel at-home within this vast, new world, offering fresh experiences on classics.
Characters: Get behind the wheel as familiar Mushroom Kingdom characters like Mario, Luigi, Peach and Bowser. Looking for a racer that’s a little more offbeat? Try taking Goomba, Spike and even Cow for a test drive.
New Items: Tear up the track with a selection of new and returning items. Throw a Coin Shell to knock rivals off course and make coins appear that gradually increase the speed of whoever collects them. Chill out the competition (and send ’em spinning) with the Ice Flower. Bring down the Hammer to nail your rival or briefly block their path. Use a Mega Mushroom to grow big and squash your rivals. Leap to new heights with the Feather. Call in Kamek’s magic to transform your rivals into something surprising and cause unexpected chaos on the course. The lower your position, the more likely you’ll receive items that could turn the tables, so when you get something good … go for it!
Drive-Thru and Roll-Out: Make a pit stop at Yoshi’s for a local delight: Dash Food! These to-go orders will give you a speed boost and sometimes also unlock outfits that can be donned from the character selection screen. There are plenty of dishes and outfits to find, so drive through when making your way around Mario Kart World.
Even More Modes: Whether you want to race or battle, there are even more ways to stoke some friendly competition in Mario Kart World. Race against the clock in Time Trials, where players can also go online to compete against ghost data from racers around the world. And you can customize the rules of the road in VS Race, where drivers can decide if they want to compete with two, three or four teams with a classic three-lap ruleset or by driving from one course to another.
Roadside Assistance: Looking for some options to assist you on race day? Features like Smart Steering to keep you on course, Auto-Accelerate and Tilt Controls for motion control steering are available to turn on or off whenever you like. Plus, if you have the Joy-Con 2 Wheel accessory (available as a set of two, sold separately) you can feel like you’re really driving!