Mario Kart 8 Deluxe getting more characters in future waves

Olivia Richman Published 09/02/2023

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has had a bit of a comeback after it announced 48 new tracks. But now, Nintendo has revealed that that there are new characters on the way as well.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe announced last year that 48 tracks — both remakes and completely new — would be arriving in waves throughout 2023 as part of the Booster Course Pass DLC. Each wave will have eight new tracks, but Nintendo has been pretty cagey about which tracks would be in each wave and when each wave would drop. So Nintendo fans were pretty shocked to get some official news about the upcoming wave.

Nintendo Direct reveals Wave 4 incoming

During the latest Nintendo Direct, which took place on February 8, 2023, it was revealed that Wave 4 was on its way. Wave 4 was said to include a brand new track based on Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. But it also is bringing Birdo, a popular LGBTQ+ character that’s been featured in games like Mario Kart Double Dash and Mario Party after their initial reveal in classic Mario games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq49Xq_FG8Y

In the Wave 4 announcement, Birdo rocked multiple colors like Yoshi. This includes yellow, orange, and blue. The collection of Birdo varieties as well as the maps in Wave 4 are coming in spring of 2023. No specific date has been given so far.

Are more characters coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

Nintendo fans have uncovered that Birdo may just be the beginning. According to a rough translation from the Japanese Mario Kart site, Wave 5 and onward will feature characters that already appeared in the past. This means that racers may see other Nintendo characters that have been in previous Mario Kart games.

https://twitter.com/Zachruff/status/1623461389368016899?s=20&t=WudeWQajFbdo1T5AFQ3tpA

Players have already started making their predictions based on which characters have been featured in past Mario Kart games. Most people are expecting to see Diddy Kong and Petey Piranha.

https://twitter.com/LuxyHugs/status/1623556860245856257?s=20&t=WudeWQajFbdo1T5AFQ3tpA

But other Nintendo fans are still wondering if the translation could also mean that any past Nintendo characters may take to the track. Many are asking for R.O.B. to return while others are bringing up favorite characters that haven’t had enough time in the spotlight like Captain Toad.

For now, only time will tell which characters are coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

How to get new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe maps

If you want to try out the new maps as they drop in 2023, you’ll need to purchase the Booster Course Pass DLC. The one-time purchase is $25 on the Nintendo eShop. This will ensure that you get each wave as they are released throughout the year.

You can also purchase the Booster Course Pass DLC as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass, which is $50 per year. This purchase also includes Switch Online bonuses like collections of emulated retro games from the SNES and N64.

How many copies of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have been sold?

The newest Mario Kart is actually one of the best-selling games of all time, not just the Switch. Since it was released in 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been sold over 50 million times. For a while, fans wondered if Nintendo would create a new Mario Kart game for the Switch, but now it seems like they are just providing updates for the existing game instead.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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