Mario Kart 9 could arrive this year — here's why

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Is Nintendo releasing a new Mario Kart for the character's 35th anniversary?

mario kart tour
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Mario Kart 9 could launch on Nintendo Switch before the end of 2021, nearly seven years after the last instalment in the series.

The rumor comes courtesy of a 4Chan user (via Gaming Intel), who made a post back in January listing a ton of titles that will allegedly be coming out this year amidst "a bunch of anniversaries." They do stipulate that the games could release anytime between now and "early 2022" and don't list any release windows, but Mario Kart 9 is mentioned. 

Since being posted, it's been proven to be correct on a number of fronts. We've seen Nintendo announce a Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remake, while in its February Direct, it confirmed Mario Golf: Super Rush along with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, and the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection. 

The leaker was also on the nose about the new Famicom Detective Club remakes, so we're not dismissing any of their other tidbits just yet. If the list is accurate, we're still in for a new Kirby title, Metroid Prime: Trilogy, Breath of the Wild 2, and Mario Kart 9. 

Nintendo released Mario Kart 8 in 2014 for the Wii U, and followed up with a revamped Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch in 2017. If the huge chasm between the last release and the next one wasn't enough, this year marks the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. What better way to celebrate than to line up a smattering of new Mario titles?

While the 4Chan poster does say that some titles will slip into the 2022 bracket, even taking all of that into account, it would make sense for Mario Kart 9 to debut this year on Nintendo Switch. And if we see the Nintendo Switch Pro make an appearance later this year, the title might even launch on both systems. Of course, nothing is confirmed yet, so we'll stay sceptical until Nintendo makes it official. 

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Shabana Arif
Shabana Arif

Shabana is T3's News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). As well as contributing to Tom's Guide, she's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies.