Mario Kart 9 Is Still In Development Despite 8's DLC, Says Insider
Despite reports to the contrary, one industry insider claims that Mario Kart 9 is currently in development at Nintendo. The beloved kart racing series' latest entry, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, released for the Nintendo Switch back in 2017. A recent Nintendo Direct event announced that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC will add 48 remastered courses from past series installments, with this massive Booster Course Pass apparently squashing hopes for a full-blown Mario Kart 9.
Since its original launch on the Wii U in 2014, Mario Kart 8 has been a widely beloved modern installment in one of Nintendo's oldest franchises. While the series' signature aggressive racing has been maintained, the eighth entry introduced unique new features like anti-gravity and new items like the defensive Super Horn. Over time Nintendo has supported Mario Kart 8 with downloadable content, adding new tracks and characters, and the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe rerelease made improvements to the original version's Battle Mode. Rumors of a Mario Kart 9 release date announcement have seemingly been proven false by Mario Kart 8's Booster Course Pass reveal, with the DLC essentially serving as a sequel.
Related: Why Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Is Getting DLC Instead Of MK 9 Releasing
According to industry insider Zippo, Mario Kart 9 is still in development despite continued post-launch support of Mario Kart 8. In a blog post discussing February's Nintendo Direct, Zippo expresses surprise at the reveal of the Booster Course Pass. However, after the event the leaker apparently learned that the DLC is being made by Bandai Namco rather than Nintendo. The gaming juggernaut is still actively working on Mario Kart 9, Zippo claims, while Bandai supports the previous installment with remastered
Read more on screenrant.com
