Mario Kart World Will Not Feature A Fan Favorite Mode At Launch

Published 3 days ago

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Mario Kart World, unfortunately, will not have one of the series' iconic challenge modes at launch. Mario Kart has historically offered several speeds of play, ranging from a slower 50cc speed to a chaotic and zippy 200cc speed, with 100cc and 150cc falling in the middle as the more "normal" speeds. Now, it has been confirmed that one of those will not be in the game, but the possibility of it coming in a post-launch update or as DLC is not off the table.

According to an interview by Rolling Stone with Mario Kart World producer Kosuke Yabuki, the 200cc speed is not available in the game, at least not at launch, with Yabuki saying: "...does that mean we’re going to consider adding engine sizes that are larger than 150cc to Mario Kart World? I’m afraid I can’t say just yet.” Yabuki explained that the development team saw the different cc levels as difficulties and used the 150cc speed as the "standard" when deg the tracks.

Mario Kart World Won't Have 200cc Racing At Launch

But It Could Come Later

While the absence of 200cc will likely disappoint a lot of Mario Kart fans, this isn't the first time a Mario Kart game has launched without it. It wasn't introduced until Mario Kart 8, which didn't have 200cc until the game got a free update to add it in April 2015, roughly 11 months post-release. Mario Kart World has expanded its gameplay with 24 racers, its huge roster of characters, and its new modes like Free Roam and Knockout Tour, but the fact that a fan-favorite mode like 200cc is absent might upset some fans.

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All hope is not lost, as Yabuki has not ruled out the possibility of adding 200cc in the future, just like Mario Kart 8 before it. With plenty of other modes and features in World, there's still a lot to look forward to at launch. In May, some new footage of the game appeared to contain a new "reverse mode," letting players do the courses backwards, in addition to the challenging Mario Kart staple, Mirror Mode.

Our Take: No 200cc Is Disappointing But Not Unexpected

Mario Kart World Is A Bigger Experience Than Previous Entries

Mario Kart veterans and avid players will likely be disappointed about the missing 200cc speed, but since Mario Kart 8 didn't launch with it either, its absence is not unprecedented. World has a lot of tracks, dozens of characters and costumes, battle modes, Grand Prix, Free Roam, Knockout Tour, versus races, four-player split-screen multiplayer, and more. There seems to be something for everyone, even if 200cc is missing at the moment.

Mario Kart World's 24-player races are surely going to be chaotic already, so it's possible a 200cc mode just wouldn't work for a title like this. All the same, having the option and not using it is better than not having it at all. While 200cc is absent at launch, the game will likely get additional DLC down the line, and with the mode as popular as it has been in the past, it would be a surprise if 200cc remains missing throughout Mario Kart World's lifespan.