Mario Kart World Releases New Update for December 2025

Nintendo has rolled out a new update for Mario Kart World, bringing many changes and bug fixes to the popular Switch 2 racing game. While this latest update should improve the experience for Mario Kart World players, some in the community wish it had gone further to address complaints about online races.

As part of one of Nintendo’s most popular series, Mario Kart World had a lot of hype leading up to its release. Nintendo marketed the game as its big first-party title for the Switch 2’s launch. With this in mind, the developer looked to offer series fans a new experience by introducing an open world to explore. This evolution of the traditional Mario Kart racing formula received praise from some, but complaints about an empty-feeling map and restrictive online multiplayer options earned the game a mixed reception. Nevertheless, Nintendo has continued to release occasional updates to address some of the issues fans have experienced.

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The most recent of these updates arrived on December 2, bringing the game to version 1.4.0. According to the patch notes, various enhancements have been made, such as adding a Custom Items option. As the name suggests, this change lets users choose what items they wish to appear in item boxes when playing VS Race, Balloon Battle, and Coin Runners. It can also be used in a Room in Online Play and Wireless Play. It is worth noting that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe received this option many years after launch, so it is nice to see it added to Mario Kart World much sooner. Not only does the Custom Items option give players more control over their Mario Kart experience, but fans also pointed out that it could make unlocking characters easier, as Kamek can be selected as the only item.

Besides the Custom Items option, the December 2 update makes some welcome changes to music. Specifically, players can now pause the game to learn the name of the currently playing track and what title it came from. Additionally, the Music Volume option has been added to the Settings/Controller menu, allowing players to better balance the audio levels in the game. The soundtrack of Mario Kart World has been one of its standout features, incorporating new arrangements of tracks from all sorts of Mario games, so the option to learn more about a track is a nice feature for music-loving fans.

Official cover art from the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop - Mario Kart World

Some other highlights of the update include changes to the layout of several intermission courses. The tracks listed in the patch notes all involve either coming or going to Koopa Troopa Beach. According to Nintendo, the races heading toward Koopa Troopa Beach will require players to race two laps around the track before crossing the finish line. While this change was likely done to address the extremely short length of this Mario Kart World track, it does open the door for potentially adding more laps to courses at the end of intermission races.

Mario Kart World’s Latest Update Doesn’t Change the Frequency of Three-Lap Races

These are only some of the changes made in the latest update, and Nintendo also squashed numerous bugs. However, the update stopped short of an increase in the frequency of three-lap courses in online multiplayer. Intermission races have been one of the most controversial aspects of Mario Kart World since launch, with many saying that traveling to the actual tracks is boring. While the developer has released several updates that claimed to address fan feedback, some believe more needs to be done, such as adding a separate online playlist for three-lap races.

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Time will tell what future updates will look like for Mario Kart World. So far, no DLC has been revealed. Nevertheless, it will likely get future courses and characters if Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is anything to go by. Hopefully, Nintendo will continue to improve the gameplay experience in the interim for those wanting more content and options.

Mario Kart World Ver. 1.4.0 – Patch Notes (Released December 2, 2025)

General

Added “Custom Items” to the item rules.
- This is a feature that lets you set which items appear.
- This is supported in “VS Race”, “Balloon Battle”, “Coin Runners”, and “Room” in “Online Play” or “Wireless Play”.
Made it so that music track name and source title of the track that is playing will be displayed on the Pause Menu.
Added “Music Volume” to “Settings/Controller”.
Made it so players who gathered in a “Room” of “Online Play” can participate in “Race”, “Knockout Tour”, and “Battle”.
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- Up to 4 players can participate in “Race”, “Knockout Tour”, and “Battle”.
Made it so you can join in with friends who are playing “Knockout Tour” from “Friends” in “2p”, “Online Play” as well.
Added “Restart” and “Next Race” in the Pause Menu for “VS Race” in “Single Player”.
Made it so you can select “Photo Mode” from the Pause Menu in “Race against Ghost” in “Time Trials”.
Changed the course layout of below courses for “VS Race”, or “Race” in “Online Play” or “Wireless Play”. *Changed it so that, in all races heading toward “Koopa Troopa Beach”, including the above courses, you will cross the finish line after two laps once you arrive at “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
- Race that heads from “Koopa Troopa Beach” to “DK Spaceport”.
- Race that heads from “Koopa Troopa Beach” to “Crown City”.
- Race that heads from “Koopa Troopa Beach” to “Peach Stadium”.
- Race that heads from “Whistlestop Summit” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
- Race that heads from “Desert Hills” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
- Race that heads from “DK Spaceport” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
- Race that heads from “Crown City” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
- Race that heads from “Peach Stadium” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
You will now dash when riding on Manta Ramp’s back.
Made it so the player will not hit Dragoneel when transformed into Bullet Bill.
Made it so the player cannot use a second Boo while already using a Boo, when holding two Boos.
When Dash Food is taken by someone, shortened the time until that Dash Food reappears.
When a coin placed on water is taken by someone, shortened the time until that coin reappears.

Fixed Issues

Fixed an issue where the dash time was not correct after a Charge Jump.
Fixed an issue where the player would slip through a wall when being stomped on from above by a vehicle driving on the road.
Fixed an issue where a player would be squashed when touching a Thwomp that had landed.
Fixed an issue where a Bullet Bill would not be displayed after using it.
Fixed an issue where a character would be blurry even when making “Focus” “Character” when taking a photo in “Photo Mode” on the Pause Menu.
Fixed an issue where the screen would look distorted if entering a pipe at the same time as joining a Free Roam in “Online Play”.
Fixed an issue where player could not get in a UFO when multiple players tried to get in a UFO at the same time in Free Roam in “Online Play”.
Fixed an issue where a friend’s information would not be updated when looking at the list of friends in “Friends” in “Online Play”.
Fixed an issue where there would be a communication error when looking at a group ID in “View Room Info” when participating in a group in “Friends” in “Online Play”.
Fixed an issue where a player’s place would go down if retiring during “Knockout Tour” in “Online Play”.
Fixed an issue where a player that is seen when spectating looks like they are going off the course over and over during “Knockout Tour” in “Online Play” or “Wireless Play”.
Fixed an issue where the player’s own character or vehicle would change when starting “Online Play” or “Wireless Play” again after quitting a game after “Knockout Tour” in “Online Play” or “Wireless Play”.
Fixed an issue where a player would get stuck on a wall when using a Bullet Bill while falling off the course in “Sky-High Sundae”.
Fixed an issue where a Bullet Bill would go outside the course when using it on the final curve in “Boo Cinema”.
Fixed an issue where the player would slip through a bulldozer in “Toad’s Factory”.
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on a spotlight in the race that heads from “Toad’s Factory” to “Bowser’s Castle” when transformed into Bullet Bill.
Fixed an issue where if the player used a Bullet Bill or Spiny Shell in the first curve of “Desert Hills”, it would get stuck on a rock.
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on a tree when using a Bullet Bill on “DK Pass”.
Fixed an issue where, when the player was small because of Lightning, they would slip through the wall on the final curve of “DK Pass.
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on a billboard when transforming into Bullet Bill in the race that heads from “Crown City” to “Desert Hills”.
Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the ring of stone when using a Bullet Bill or Mega Mushroom while falling in “Great ? Block Ruins” right before the final curve.
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on the ground on the meadows near “Big Donut”.
Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the wall if rewinding after wall riding in the special room you can go to from a pipe in “Shy Guy Bazaar”.
Fixed an issue where the player would still fall into the lava even though they have “Smart Steering” ON in “Dry Bones Burnout”.
Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course when using a Bullet Bill while rail riding in “Wario Stadium”.
Fixed an issue where the player would not be able to glide if getting on a glide panel while gliding in the race that heads from “Wario Stadium” to “Airship Fortress”.
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on the ground while heading from “Wario Stadium” to “Airship Fortress”.
Fixed an issue where the vehicle would float up from the rail when the player did a rail ride after a wall ride in a bike-type vehicle in “Wario Stadium”.
Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course when using a Bullet Bill on the shortcut while heading from “Dandelion Depths” to “Cheep Cheep Falls” in the “Ice Rally” of “Knockout Tour”.
Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course while gliding, while heading from “Dandelion Depths” to “Cheep Cheep Falls” in the “Moon Rally” of “Knockout Tour”.
Fixed an issue where a green shell would get stuck on the ground while heading from “Airship Fortress” to “Dry Bones Burnout” in the “Heart Rally” of “Knockout Tour”.
Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course when they transformed into Bullet Bill on top of a building in “Crown City” in the below races:
- Race that heads from “DK Spaceport” to “Crown City”.
- Race that heads from “Koopa Troopa Beach” to “Crown City”.
- Race that heads from “Faraway Oasis” to “Crown City”.
Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.