Published 20:24 8 Dec 2025 GMT

Free Mario Kart World Update Adds Long-Awaited Request

About time too

James Lynch

Mario Kart World is undoubtedly an excellent entry in the storied party racing series, combining its signature blend of multiplayer chaos and iconic characters from across the Mario games into a pretty enthralling concoction.

That said, there have been some complaints since its release back in the summer, and most of those relate to quality of life choices that Nintendo seemingly either chose not to make or forgot about entirely.

To their credit, the developer has begun to roll out a series of updates which addressed the most egregious concerns, and the latest brings a change that many have been asking for ever since release.

Nintendo

Mario Kart World 1.4.0 Update Brings Multiplayer Lobbies For Friends

Anyone who has tried to play the games with friends up to this point will know that making sure you get into the same lobby as one another in a wider multiplayer game is a bit of a nightmare.

Fortunately, that's no longer going to be an issue as the 1.4.0 update for Mario Kart World allows up to four players to join a room together before heading into a new round, removing any woes associated with playing together.

Outside of that headline change, this latest step for the game is actually more of a giant leap, with a ton of improvements across the game's various modes.

These include "Custom Items," which lets you set which items appear in game in any of "VS Race", "Balloon Battle", "Coin Runners", and "Room" in "Online Play" or "Wireless Play" modes.

Many of the course layouts have also been changed in an effort to keep the experience as fresh as possible, so don't expect your perfectly memorised routes to work across the board.

The full set of patch notes for 1.4.0 is as follows:

General

Added "Custom Items" to the item rules.
This is a feature that lets you set which items appear.
This is supported in "VS Race", "Balloon Battle", "Coin Runners", and "Room" in "Online Play" or "Wireless Play".
Made it so that music track name and source title of the track that is playing will be displayed on the Pause Menu.
Added "Music Volume" to "Settings/Controller".
Made it so players who gathered in a "Room" of "Online Play" can participate in "Race", "Knockout Tour", and "Battle".
Up to 4 players can participate in "Race", "Knockout Tour", and "Battle".
Made it so you can join in with friends who are playing "Knockout Tour" from "Friends" in "2p", "Online Play" as well.
Added "Restart" and "Next Race" in the Pause Menu for "VS Race" in "Single Player".
Made it so you can select "Photo Mode" from the Pause Menu in "Race against Ghost" in "Time Trials".
Changed the course layout of below courses for "VS Race", or "Race" in "Online Play" or "Wireless Play". *Changed it so that, in all races heading toward "Koopa Troopa Beach", including the above courses, you will cross the finish line after two laps once you arrive at "Koopa Troopa Beach".
Race that heads from "Koopa Troopa Beach" to "DK Spaceport".
Race that heads from "Koopa Troopa Beach" to "Crown City".
Race that heads from "Koopa Troopa Beach" to "Peach Stadium".
Race that heads from "Whistlestop Summit" to "Koopa Troopa Beach".
Race that heads from "Desert Hills" to "Koopa Troopa Beach".
Race that heads from "DK Spaceport" to "Koopa Troopa Beach".
Race that heads from "Crown City" to "Koopa Troopa Beach".
Race that heads from "Peach Stadium" to "Koopa Troopa Beach".
You will now dash when riding on Manta Ramp’s back.
Made it so the player will not hit Dragoneel when transformed into Bullet Bill.
Made it so the player cannot use a second Boo while already using a Boo, when holding two Boos.
When Dash Food is taken by someone, shortened the time until that Dash Food reappears.
When a coin placed on water is taken by someone, shortened the time until that coin reappears.

Fixed Issues

Fixed an issue where the dash time was not correct after a Charge Jump.
Fixed an issue where the player would slip through a wall when being stomped on from above by a vehicle driving on the road.
Fixed an issue where a player would be squashed when touching a Thwomp that had landed.
Fixed an issue where a Bullet Bill would not be displayed after using it.
Fixed an issue where a character would be blurry even when making "Focus" "Character" when taking a photo in "Photo Mode" on the Pause Menu.
Fixed an issue where the screen would look distorted if entering a pipe at the same time as joining a Free Roam in "Online Play".
Fixed an issue where player could not get in a UFO when multiple players tried to get in a UFO at the same time in Free Roam in "Online Play".
Fixed an issue where a friend’s information would not be updated when looking at the list of friends in "Friends" in "Online Play".
Fixed an issue where there would be a communication error when looking at a group ID in "View Room Info" when participating in a group in "Friends" in "Online Play".
Fixed an issue where a player’s place would go down if retiring during "Knockout Tour" in "Online Play".
Fixed an issue where a player that is seen when spectating looks like they are going off the course over and over during "Knockout Tour" in "Online Play" or "Wireless Play".
Fixed an issue where the player’s own character or vehicle would change when starting "Online Play" or "Wireless Play" again after quitting a game after "Knockout Tour" in "Online Play" or "Wireless Play".
Fixed an issue where a player would get stuck on a wall when using a Bullet Bill while falling off the course in "Sky-High Sundae".
Fixed an issue where a Bullet Bill would go outside the course when using it on the final curve in "Boo Cinema".
Fixed an issue where the player would slip through a bulldozer in "Toad's Factory".
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on a spotlight in the race that heads from "Toad's Factory" to "Bowser's Castle" when transformed into Bullet Bill.
Fixed an issue where if the player used a Bullet Bill or Spiny Shell in the first curve of "Desert Hills", it would get stuck on a rock.
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on a tree when using a Bullet Bill on "DK Pass".
Fixed an issue where, when the player was small because of Lightning, they would slip through the wall on the final curve of "DK Pass.
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on a billboard when transforming into Bullet Bill in the race that heads from "Crown City" to "Desert Hills".
Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the ring of stone when using a Bullet Bill or Mega Mushroom while falling in "Great ? Block Ruins" right before the final curve.
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on the ground on the meadows near "Big Donut".
Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the wall if rewinding after wall riding in the special room you can go to from a pipe in "Shy Guy Bazaar".
Fixed an issue where the player would still fall into the lava even though they have "Smart Steering" ON in "Dry Bones Burnout".
Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course when using a Bullet Bill while rail riding in "Wario Stadium".
Fixed an issue where the player would not be able to glide if getting on a glide panel while gliding in the race that heads from "Wario Stadium" to "Airship Fortress".
Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on the ground while heading from "Wario Stadium" to "Airship Fortress".
Fixed an issue where the vehicle would float up from the rail when the player did a rail ride after a wall ride in a bike-type vehicle in "Wario Stadium".
Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course when using a Bullet Bill on the shortcut while heading from "Dandelion Depths" to "Cheep Cheep Falls" in the "Ice Rally" of "Knockout Tour".
Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course while gliding, while heading from "Dandelion Depths" to "Cheep Cheep Falls" in the "Moon Rally" of "Knockout Tour".
Fixed an issue where a green shell would get stuck on the ground while heading from "Airship Fortress" to "Dry Bones Burnout" in the "Heart Rally" of "Knockout Tour".
Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course when they transformed into Bullet Bill on top of a building in "Crown City" in the below races:
Race that heads from "DK Spaceport" to "Crown City".
Race that heads from "Koopa Troopa Beach" to "Crown City".
Race that heads from "Faraway Oasis" to "Crown City".
Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.