Mario Kart World, the Switch 2-exclusive racing game, is getting its own dedicated Nintendo Direct this month

The next Mario Kart game, Mario Kart World, has been officially unveiled as a Switch 2 launch title, and it's getting its very own dedicated Nintendo Direct stream later this month.

Previously speculated to be Mario Kart 9, the proper reveal of the next instalment in Nintendo's iconic racing series is the first exciting bit of Nintendo Switch 2 Direct news unveiled today, confirming the first upcoming Switch 2 game we can look forward to.

While we've just been given an exciting new trailer, Nintendo has also confirmed that on April 17 at 6am PT / 9am ET, we'll be able to see even more of it during a dedicated Mario Kart World Direct.

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It's now been confirmed that the races will feature 24 racers on a single track this time. Not only will Grand Prix races feature connected courses, but there's an all-new Knockout Mode that basically sounds like a Mario Kart battle royale, which'll eliminate players if they don't make it to checkpoints with a high enough placement. Beyond that, there's a Free Roam mode to explore the areas and take photos.

June 5 will be the release date for both the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World – it's shaping up to be a very exciting day. There are loads more Switch 2 launch games coming beyond the new racer, though, with Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Split Fiction, and more.

Beyond the Mario Kart World Direct, I've got my fingers crossed that the racer will feature in the lengthy Nintendo Treehouse streams this week. Nintendo has confirmed it'll be showing a total of seven hours of hands-on gameplay for Switch 2 games over the course of two streams, so there'll be plenty to see.

Switch 2 bundle will include a digital version of Mario Kart World, Nintendo’s first open-world racer.