The announcement of more DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at Nintendo's February Direct means it's unlikely that Mario Kart 9 will be releasing any time soon. During Nintendo’s recent Direct, the company announced that Mario Kart 8 would be receiving a DLC pack granting users access to a wide variety of courses. Mario Kart 8 had originally released on the Wii U in 2014, before getting another release on Nintendo Switch in 2017. The game's lifespan will be extended even further with the addition of new tracks, meaning that fans may have to wait longer than they may have expected for MK9.
While no new sequel to the popular racing title has been announced, players did end up receiving the mobile game Mario Kart Tour back in 2019. Surprisingly Mario Kart 8 has endured a long lifespan and remains one of the most-played Switch games to this day. With the development team focusing their energy on adding more race tracks into the title, it’s fair to say Mario Kart 9 will be coming later, rather than sooner.
The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass will bring eight nostalgic tracks in each of its six waves until the end of 2023, adding more race cups into the game. In total, that’s 48 new and remastered courses from other Mario Kart games for players to enjoy. With only the first wave of courses announced, there's no telling what track players will end up seeing. While the DLC doesn’t include new tracks that Mario Kart 9 would probably have, it may be nice to take a trip down memory lane and race down some popular raceways from past games.
It Might Not Be Mario Kart 9, But MK8 Deluxe's DLC Is Still Good
While some fans may be disappointed that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will receive further updates, more content is ultimately a good thing. Courses that are going to be the first to make their Mario Kart 8 debut in the pass are split up into two cups. There’s The Golden Dash cup that has Toad Circuit from the 3DS, Choco Mountain from the N64, Paris Promenade from Mario Kart Tour, along with Coconut Mall from Mario Kart Wii. Secondly, there’s the Lucky Cat Cup will include Shroom Ridge from the 3DS, Tokyo Blur from Mario Kart Tour, Ninja Hideaway from Mario Kart Tour, and Sky Garden from the GBA. In order to play these courses, users have to pay for the pass which costs $24.99. However, Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass members have it included with their subscription.
With the possibility of Mario Kart 9 including new characters, it's sad to see that none are included in the DLC pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. There also wasn’t a mention of new karts being added to the game, which may come as a disappointment to some players. MK8 is still a popular and well-received Mario Kart game, but the DLC is unlikely to innovate in the ways a full sequel could.
As disappointing it may be to see Mario Kart 8 taking the spotlight Mario Kart 9 maybe should’ve had, it’s nice to see more MK content. Since the pass doesn’t end until the end of 2023, fans shouldn’t expect any sequel for the saga until after then. In the meantime, players willing to pay extra for more Mario Kart should enjoy the paid DLC Nintendo has created, as 48 new courses are likely to bring more memorable moments to one of the series' best-received entries.