Nintendo has rolled out update 1.3.0 for Mario Kart World, delivering a wide range of improvements across Free Roam, Online Play, and Battle modes. Players can now enjoy enhanced map functionality in Free Roam, including tracking Peach Medallions and P Switches, transforming into UFO characters, and smoother navigation. Spectators also gain more control, while adjustments to items, crashes, and lap selection aim to improve balance and pacing during races.
The update also resolves a variety of frustrating issues, from ranking errors and misplaced Spiny Shells to wall collision bugs and item box problems. With these fixes, both casual players and competitive racers can expect a more stable and polished gameplay experience across all modes.
Full Patch Notes
General
- You can now join friends playing “Knockout Tour” by selecting “Friends” from “Online Play” “1p.”
- Up to 2 players can now play “Free Roam” while waiting if the game was full when trying to join friends in “Race,” “Knockout Tour,” or “Battle” in “Online Play.”
- The “Free Roam” map now displays the locations of P Switches you have run over and Peach Medallions you have obtained.
- You can now select a P Switch from the map and move to a location near it.
- In “Free Roam,” you can now transform into the character pulled into the UFO.
- If “Dash Food” in “Settings/Controller” is set to “Doesn’t transform,” you will not transform.
- It is now easier to encounter UFOs in “Free Roam.”
- Conditions for the appearance of some Peach Medallions in “Free Roam” have been adjusted.
- When spectating in “Knockout Tour” or “Balloon Battle” in “Online Play” or “Wireless Play,” you can now choose who to watch, even when using Joy-Con 2 or Joy-Con horizontally.
- Decreased the time between an item box being taken and its respawn.
- Increased invincibility time after spinning or crashing.
- Reduced the force of jumps when landing on a rival from above.
- Decreased the time between finishing a race and spectating in “Knockout Tour” or “Balloon Battle.”
- Decreased the time between passing through the checkpoint and displaying rankings in “Knockout Tour” for “Wireless Play” and “LAN Play.”
- Further increased the frequency of lap-type courses appearing when selecting the next course in “VS Race” and wireless races.
Fixed Issues
- Fixed incorrect rankings when a player went off course at the finish line in “Online Play” and “Wireless Play.”
- Fixed CPU ranking drops after finishing in “Grand Prix,” “Knockout Tour,” and “VS Race.”
- Fixed ratings appearing as “0” on the results screen in “Knockout Tour” Online Play.
- Fixed Spiny Shell passing the first-place player in “Wireless Play” or “Online Play.”
- Fixed players being sent flying backward by Spiny Shells.
- Fixed second item not disappearing when hit by Lightning.
- Fixed large jumps caused by hitting the base of a pillar mid-air.
- Fixed unstable movement when wall riding on water.
- Fixed strong sweep effects when landing from a mini jump going up a river.
- Fixed players sometimes passing through the ground after being hit by a car.
- Fixed pipe entry issues after exiting a trailer in “Free Roam.”
- Fixed distorted results screens after spectating “Balloon Battle” Online Play.
- Fixed game not proceeding to course selection after exiting a pipe in “Free Roam” Online Play.
- Fixed Bullet Bill slipping through walls in “Sky-High Sundae.”
- Fixed wall collision issues in “Airship Fortress” to “Shy Guy Bazaar.”
- Fixed Bullet Bill wall collision problems in “Bowser’s Castle.”
- Fixed item box pickup issues in “Cheep Cheep Falls” with Smart Steering enabled.
- Fixed buried item box issue in “Knockout Tour” “Spiny Rally.”
- Several other stability and gameplay fixes applied.
Mario Kart World is a 2025 kart racing game developed by Nintendo EPD for the Nintendo Switch 2. It launched on June 5, 2025, as a Switch 2 release title. The game introduces an open-world design, off-roading mechanics, elimination modes, unlockable costumes, and supports up to 24 racers. It has sold over five million copies and received positive reviews for its innovative gameplay and improvements over earlier entries.
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