Mario Kart World update 1.4 adds Custom Item rules, track layout changes, and more. Read on to learn more about the latest rule addition and quality-of-life improvements.
Mario Kart World Update 1.4 Brings A Lot Of Changes
Set Custom Item Rules
Mario Kart World released patch 1.4.0 on December 2, 2025, providing a plethora of new features and bug fixes to the game. One of the highlights of the update is the addition of "Custom Items," which gives players full control when setting up item rules for their races.
This feature was first introduced to the racing series in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, added as a free update in December 2022. Previous titles in the franchise only offered preset options, such as Normal (the standard item balance), Frantic (higher chances of getting powerful items), and Shells only (boxes only spawn shells).
For Mario Kart World, the Custom Items feature is available in VS Race, Balloon Battle, Coin Runners, and Room in Online Play or Wireless Play. It is important to note that the Custom Items rule is not supported in the main Grand Prix mode or the Knockout Tour mode.
With the addition of the Custom Items rule, players can create themed matches to their liking, such as boost items only or restricting the item pool to include only disruptive power-ups. Additionally, players can leverage this control by creating sessions that feature only the Kamek item, significantly accelerating the process of unlocking rare and difficult-to-obtain characters.
Racetrack Layout Changes
Aside from the new Custom Items rule, Nintendo made changes to the layout of some of Mario Kart World’s racetracks. The main adjustment is that for any race route that finishes on Koopa Troopa Beach, the final section now requires two laps after arriving at the course, instead of the original single lap.
This change was made due to Mario Kart World’s new Intermission track style, where courses link together, resulting in the final track segment being very short. This was widely criticized for making the end of the race feel too brief, hindering the ability of trailing players to catch up or utilize powerful items effectively.
By increasing the final lap count on Koopa Troopa Beach routes from one to two, Nintendo doubled the time spent actively racing on that final course, improving the overall race flow and comeback potential.
This new two-lap rule applies to the final segment of all races heading towards Koopa Troopa Beach. The change specifically affects eight distinct race routes, including those heading from Crown City, Peach Stadium, and DK Spaceport to Koopa Troopa Beach.
Music and Quality-of-Life Improvements
Update 1.4 also saw changes to the game’s music, alongside a bunch of quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes. Specifically, Nintendo introduced two significant changes regarding the game's audio experience.
Firstly, the name of the music track and its source are now displayed on the Pause Menu, a feature highly valued by players who enjoy the expansive remixed soundtrack. Secondly, a dedicated Music Volume option was added to the Settings menu, allowing players to increase the relative volume of the soundtrack to better hear the music over the sound effects and racing noise.
Furthermore, key QoL additions include the ability to restart a race or select the Next Race option from the Pause Menu during single-player VS Race, and the addition of Photo Mode access to the Pause Menu during Time Trials. Additionally, online play was streamlined, allowing Online Rooms to transition between Race, Knockout Tour, and Battle modes, and increasing the player limit in these rooms to four players.
The update also featured an extensive list of fixes addressing issues such as unpredictable Bullet Bill behavior, various collision and out-of-bounds problems on several courses, and general stability and performance issues, especially within the online environment.
The complete list of additions, changes, and adjustments to the game can be found on the official Mario Kart World support website
Mario Kart World is available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
Source:
How to Update Mario Kart World
You may also like...
.
