I didn’t need to play much of Mario Kart Tour to find out it’s not for me: but even if you’re still enjoying it, the race is coming to an end in the near future. According to a new in-game notification straight from Nintendo (via OatmealDome), new content for Mario Kart Tour will cease to come out from October 4, 2023 onward.
Here’s the full wording from Nintendo:
“From 10/04/2023 (Wed) on, tours will consist of content from tours that have appeared before. Note: No new courses, drivers, karts, or gliders will be added following the Battle Tour starting 10/04/2023 (Wed). We hope you continue to enjoy playing Mario Kart Tour.”
Well, that’s pretty definitive! I love how Nintendo clarified “courses, drivers, karts, or gliders” just to let folks know that there is no hope of new content coming to the game post-October. This is just a few weeks following the fourth anniversary of the game’s release on September 25, 2019.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will carry on the legacy of Mario Kart Tour’s few bright spots
Funnily enough, a good chunk of the game’s courses have already been ported over to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so even when the microtransaction-filled game goes offline entirely, its legacy will still live on in some form. Even though it kicked off years ago, it’s still so weird to see Nintendo getting into the mobile game with gacha fodder and loot boxes.