The currently unannounced Nintendo Switch 2 has once again been tipped for a release in 2024, and it’s reportedly set to receive a new 3D Mario game and a new installment in the ever-popular Mario Kart series.
Zippo, a leaker with a reasonable track record of accurate information, has suggested via their blog that Nintendo’s follow-up to the Switch — which we’re calling Nintendo Switch 2 for simplicity's sake — will launch next year. The supposed insider doesn’t offer an exact release window but previous Switch 2 rumors have suggested that it will launch in the second half of 2024.
We’d definitely advise taking this information with a grain of salt, but Zippo has previously leaked Nintendo games including Metroid Dread and Everybody 1-2-Switch, so there’s reason to be hopeful that this latest information is accurate.
Alongside reaffirmation that the Switch 2 will land in 2024, Zippo also states it will launch alongside a new 3D Mario game. This could be the long-requested sequel to Mario Odyssey, or it may be an entirely new Mario experience.
Super Mario Kart Ultimate
This latest indication that the Nintendo Switch 2 will launch in 2024 is certainly exciting, but the bulk of Zippo’s latest report is actually dedicated to new details on the next game in the Mario Kart franchise.
The insider claims it will be called Mario Kart X — a clear nod to it being the 10th game in the series — and is “one of the most expensive games Nintendo has ever put into production.” Zippo reports that it will be a visually impressive game that could act as a real showcase for Nintendo's new hardware.
Each new Mario Kart game traditionally refreshes the franchise's classic kart racing formula with a new twist, but Zippo doesn’t indicate how Mario Kart X will differentiate itself from the best-selling Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Personally, I’d love to see the next Mario Kart take some cues from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate by incorporating characters/tracks from across Nintendo’s catalog of games. We saw the series take its first steps in this direction with Mario Kart 8's DLC adding Link from The Legend of Zelda and Isabelle from Animal Crossing, but I hope Nintendo goes even further with the next mainline Mario Kart. Heck, the series could even be renamed Nintendo Kart and fully explore beyond the Mushroom Kingdom.
However, don’t start planning your next marathon Mario Kart session with friends just yet. Zippo notes that Mario Kart X won’t launch until 2025, which would be the second year of the Switch 2’s lifecycle.
According to Zippo, the next Mario Kart will coincide with Mario’s 40th anniversary and is part of Nintendo’s “extensive plans” to celebrate the occasion. The leaker stresses that “next year, the focus will be on the launch of the [Switch 2] alongside that new 3D Mario" game.
