It’s been almost eight years since Nintendo last released a new mainline Mario Kart game, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch has been nothing short of a force of nature, where sales are concerned. The game continues to sell strong numbers even years on from its launch, standing at nearly 39 million units sold worldwide at last count, and these sustained sales have led many to the conclusion that Nintendo is unlikely to release a new game in the series anytime soon.
That might not be entirely accurate though. In an article published by GamesIndustry in which several industry analysts have made predictions for the industry in 2022, Dr. Serkan Toto of Kantan Games stated that Mario Kart 9 is currently in the works, and, interestingly enough, that it “comes with anew twist.” Toto also predicts that Nintendo could tease the game sometime this year.
“I am aware Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still selling very well on the Nintendo Switch, but Mario Kart 9 is in active development (and comes with a new twist) and Nintendo could tease it this year,” he said.
Meanwhile, Toto also predicts that Nintendo will be launching another one of its established properties on mobile devices sometime this year.
“On mobile, Nintendo has been very silent since Mario Kart Tour’s launch in 2019, but I think 2022 is when we will see an established IP arriving on smart devices again,” he said.
Rumours last year claimed that a new mainline Mario Kart game had been in development for three years, and that it could launch sometime in 2022. Read more on that through here.
