Mario Kart World was none of the high-profile titles that launched with the Switch 2. A recent report shows the physical version of the game has sold over 1 million copies in Japan alone. More than 122,000 copies were sold just last week, according to Famitsu’s weekly sales chart for Japan.
Mario Kart World was revamped for the Switch 2 with several improvements, including the introduction of a new “Knockout Tour” and free-roam. Changes were also made to the playable roster, especially the removal of non-Mario characters that flooded Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
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This is another huge milestone for the Japanese console and video game maker. Earlier this month, the Nintendo Switch 2 launch set a record for video game hardware sales in the United States, with over 1.1 million sold across the country. Mario Kart World is currently the best-selling Switch 2 game.
Nintendo has lots of first-party titles for the rest of the year. July will see the launch of Donkey Kong Bananza, a revamped DK experience that will see Kong smash almost anything in the world and transform into other animals. Other major releases, including Kirby Air Riders and Metroid Prime 4, have also been teased for Switch 2—which will likely extend Switch 2’s early sales momentum.
New Mario Kart World update leaves players frustrated
While Mario Kart World sales have been impressive, a new update has left players a little bit frustrated. Mario Kart World features a semi-open world that players can explore between races. The courses are larger, and fans frequently discover alternate routes that make it easier to reach the finish line.
The new patch fixed a few issues but also made a big change to online multiplayer. According to the patch note, the course included when selecting “Random” in a wireless VS Race has been adjusted. Dataminer OatmealDome dug deeper to understand what that really meant.
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During the investigation, the dataminer discovered that “intermission”, a type of course different from lap-based courses, that tasks players with traveling to the track and completing a single lap, will now be added to the “Random” races when players enter a three-lap race. Intermission has not been popular among players, and many see this as Nintendo forcing it down their throats. Find the full patch note below.
Mario Kart World Version 1.1.2 Update Patch Notes (June 25, 2025)
General
- Adjusted courses selected in “Random” when selecting next course in a wireless “VS Race.”
Fixed Issues
- Made readjustments to fix an issue where rate fluctuations were sometimes displayed incorrectly in “Online Play” and “Knockout Tour.”
- Fixed an issue where you sometimes can’t recover quickly after falling off the course in “Dino Dino Jungle”.
- Fixed an issue where you continually hit the wall near the finish line of “Boo Cinema” when transformed into Bullet Bill.
If you have played Mario Kart World, let us know in the comment box below what your experience has been so far.
