With Mario Kart 8 Deluxe consistently topping charts and driving significant revenue for Nintendo over the years, we look into what this could potentially mean for the franchise and Mario Kart 9.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is Suffering from Success
Fans Want a Proper Mario Kart Sequel on the Switch
Earlier this week, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe surged back to the top of the UK retail charts, once again proving its enduring popularity. The game, an expanded version of the Wii U's Mario Kart 8, was released for the Switch in 2017 and has remained a chart-topper in various game sales charts ever since.
After temporarily taking the backseat to newer titles like Hogwarts Legacy and EA Sports FC 24, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe swerved back into first place in the country's sales chart compiled by German market research firm GfK. According to GfK, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains to be one of the "biggest revenue-spinners" in Nintendo’s Mario franchise, alongside Mario Kart Wii and New Super Mario Bros.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has not only topped charts in the UK but has also continued its hot streak in other regions, including homeland Japan, and the US. Just recently this month, Statista published its findings for the best-selling video games in the US in June 2024, wherein Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, despite being one of the older games along with The Elder Scrolls: Online, made it to the Top 20.
Moreover, Nintendo's financial reports have indicated that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is currently the best-selling Switch game with 62.90 million units sold. The game continues to be popular and make up a significant portion of the franchise's success. In fact, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe managed to sell 8.18 million units for the recent fiscal year ending March 2024 and was noted as a success overall, as Nintendo continues its efforts of diversifying and expanding their franchise.
With each passing year, fans' hopes for a new Mario Kart installment, a Mario Kart 9 specifically, dwindled as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continued to rake in impressive sales. Many Mario fans have perceived the game’s consistent success as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it could mean continued support for a game they love. On the other hand, it raises questions about the likelihood of a new Mario Kart game releasing any time soon.
With Switch 2 on the horizon, a new Mario Kart title for the current console is still up in the air. Likewise, given Mario Kart 8's repackaged expanded release from Wii U to Switch, it might be possible that Nintendo employs the same strategy on the Switch 2.
Following the launch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe five years ago, Nintendo introduced two "new" Mario Kart titles, but it wasn't what fans expected or hoped for. Nintendo launched Mario Kart Tour for mobile in 2019, and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a mixed-reality game, in 2020. These rather ambitious Mario Kart launches on platforms outside the Nintendo-ecosystem could suggest that Nintendo intends to put out more titles that aren't part of the "mainline" series, aka, Mario Kart 9.
Mario Kart, throughout the years, has been a kart racing series that has adapted to the various consoles it has launched on—like with the Mario Kart DS on the innovative dual-screen Nintendo DS console, as an example. Nintendo is one of the major gaming companies known to rigorously research on its hardware and offerings, with numerous patent filing reports consistently tied to their console the past years. We could probably expect a new, revamped Mario Kart title making it to the Switch 2 at some point, if not on the console's launch day.
However, speculation persists of Nintendo opting to re-release Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the new console rather than developing a true sequel, Mario Kart 9. For the past seven years, rather than launching Mario Kart 9, Nintendo has continued to update Mario Kart 8 Deluxe—though it’s important to note that the game received its sixth and final wave of DLC tracks just last year in November. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is deemed to be the definitive Mario Kart experience, and fans hoping for Mario Kart 9 expect it to be a grander, more innovative entry in the series.
While Nintendo has not officially confirmed the development of Mario Kart 9, rumors have suggested that it is in the works. It was being reported in early 2022 that a new Mario Kart title was being actively developed and will come with "a new twist." The speculation surrounding Mario Kart 9 came from Tokyo-based industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto who, at the time, also noted that "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still selling very well on the Nintendo Switch, but Mario Kart 9 is in active development," and that a sequel could potentially come out next year, coinciding with the speculated release of the Switch 2.
Source:
Financial Results Explanatory Material Fiscal Year Ended March 2024
Financial Results Explanatory Material 1st Quarter of Fiscal Year Ending March 2025
Nintendo IR Information Index
UK Charts: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Races To Pole Position Once Again
Best-selling video games in the United States in June 2024, by dollar sales
GfK publishes UK’s top 30 best-selling computer games since 1995, with all games grossing £26.3bn in 27 years
Mario Kart 9 Is Reportedly In Development, 'With a New Twist'
