Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Continues to Sell Millions, So Will Nintendo Release Mario Kart 9 for Switch 2?

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Nintendo Switch exclusive Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to sell millions of copies even now, with the game seven-and-a-half years old.


In its latest financial report, Nintendo said Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold another 2.31 million units from April to September, which means Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is now up to an incredible 64.27 million sold. In fact, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold almost as many copies as the brand new The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom so far this financial year, and more than either Pario Mario: The Thousand-Year Door or Luigi's Mansion 2 HD.


Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is comfortably the best-selling Nintendo Switch game, ahead of Animal Crossing: New Horizons (46.45 million) in second place. And its enduring popularity is easy to understand; not only is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe superb in its own right, but it’s an almost essential buy for any new Switch owner looking for a fun game to play with family and friends pretty much out of the box. Speaking of which, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe looks set to continue to sell well with Nintendo pushing the Switch ahead of the crucial holiday sales period.

The question now is, will Nintendo release a sequel, presumably Mario Kart 9, for the upcoming Switch 2, or continue Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s dominance via backwards compatibility and a beefy next-gen update?


Nintendo has so far kept its cards close to its chest when it comes to Switch 2 information. All it’s said on the record is that an announcement will be made at some point during this financial year, which ends March 2025. Analysts are now saying it's unlikely Nintendo will announce Switch 2 this year. A release for the console itself looks set for the next financial year, meaning April 2025 at the earliest.


Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].