Nintendo has released a significant update for the Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World, reversing a recent and controversial change to its online race selection.
Last month, an update drew criticism from fans after it altered the “Random” course selection in VS mode. Players had been using this option to access traditional, three-lap races and avoid the game’s “intermission tracks,” which require lengthy travel through the open world to reach the next course. The change reduced the likelihood of selecting these self-contained tracks, to the community’s frustration.
With the new version 1.2.0 patch, Nintendo has directly addressed this feedback. The company’s official patch notes state it has “increased the frequency of lap-type courses appearing in the selection when choosing the next course in ‘VS Race’ and wireless races.” This move is expected to satisfy players who felt the previous change forced them into the game’s less curated open-world segments.
The substantial update also introduces several other features, balance adjustments, and bug fixes. Players can now view replays after downloading Time Trial ghost data and select which player to spectate in Knockout Tour and Balloon Battle.
Key balance changes include making computer-controlled opponents “weaker in everything other than Battle” and reducing the homing accuracy of the Boomerang item. Additionally, a new wheel-spinning animation will appear if a player accelerates too early at the start of a race.
Mario Kart World Update 1.2.0 Patch Notes:
General
- In the “VS Race” of “Single Player”, added “No COM” to the COM rules.
- In the “VS Race” of “Single Player” and “Multiplayer”, added “Mushrooms only” to the item rules.
- You can now choose “View Replay” after downloading ghost data in “Time Trials”.
- You can now choose whom to watch when spectating in “Knockout Tour” and “Balloon Battle” in “Online Play”, “Wireless Play”, and “LAN Play”.
- You can now see the waiting time until the next race or battle starts in “Online Play”, “Wireless Play”, and “LAN Play”.
- When using CameraPlay in “Multiplayer” and “Online Play”, the game will now remember the camera cursor position and size until the player closes the game.
- If you change the number of people playing, the cursor position and size will return to their original settings.
- On the “Free Roam” map, when you gather all of the P Switches, ? Panels, and Peach Medallions, the colors of the various numbers will now change.
- Made COM weaker in everything other than “Battle”.
- Made homing of Boomerang weaker.
- Decreased the probability of getting a Triple Dash Mushroom in the low position, whenever the item rules in a race are anything other than “Frantic”.
- Changed it so order of getting ? Block is higher than in the past, whenever the item rules in a race are anything other than “Frantic”.
- Made it so there is a wheel spinning animation if the player presses the A button (acceleration) too early when starting a race while driving.
- Player will not lose speed even when spinning wheels.
- Increased the frequency of lap-type courses appearing in the selection when choosing the next course in “VS Race” and wireless races.
Fixed Issues
- Fixed an issue where the rate fluctuations were sometimes displayed incorrectly in wireless races.
- Fixed an issue where the vehicle would stay floating in air when jumping off a half pipe.
- Fixed an issue where, when a player crashes while gliding and uses Bullet Bill, they go out of the course.
- Fixed an issue where, if a player quits a Rewind in the location where they were wall riding, the driver’s posture would not return to what it was before.
- Fixed an issue where the item that was displayed in the item slot would turn into something else when using it.
- Fixed an issue where in “Online Play”, the player would not dash even when getting on a Dash Panel.
- Fixed an issue where the points in a team race in “Wireless Play” would display incorrectly.
- Fixed an issue where sometimes controls were inoperable on the menu screen after the player was retired in “Balloon Battle” in “Wireless Play”.
- Fixed an issue where a Peach Medallion would sometimes disappear when doing Rewind in “Free Roam”.
- Fixed an issue where sometimes controls were inoperable when the player pointed the cursor at their own character or course and pressed A on the “Free Roam” map.
- Fixed an issue where sometimes controls were inoperable when the player quit a mission in “Free Roam” right before entering a pipe.
- Fixed an issue where the player would slip through some drift ice around “Sky-High Sundae”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would get caught on the outside of a handrail on the left and right sides right after the start of “Airship Fortress”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would get caught on the fence and not be able to move forward in “Bowser’s Castle”.
- Fixed an issue where, when the player used a Bullet Bill in “Bowser’s Castle”, they would not be able to glide and fell into the abyss.
- Fixed an issue where the player would go out of the course when using a Mega Mushroom on the last turn of “Whistlestop Summit”.
- Fixed an issue where the player could not get out of the location where they fell from a railroad when “Smart Steering” is on in “Whistlestop Summit”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the ground at a ramp near the goal at “Choco Mountain”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would get caught on a block when using a Bullet Bill on the road that enters “Choco Mountain”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would get caught on a plank of wood laid on the road when throwing a green shell on the road between “DK Spaceport” and “Whistlestop Summit”.
- Fixed an issue where the last place would be sometimes incorrect in the wireless races of “Dino Dino Jungle”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would get caught on the back of a leaf when using a Bullet Bill in “Acorn Heights”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would not be able to slip through a vase that is placed on the road in “Shy Guy Bazaar”, when using a Boo.
- Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the ceiling in “Dry Bones Burnout”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would sometimes hit a fence when throwing a red shell on the first turn in “Moo Moo Meadows”.
- Fixed an issue where one part of the effects that take place for the bridge transforming when heading toward “Rainbow Road” did not display.
- Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the ground on the road between ”Starview Peak” and “Sky-High Sundae”.
- Fixed an issue where some of the item boxes would not have appeared in “Wario Shipyard”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the bottom of a rock near the goal of ”Wario Shipyard”.
- Fixed an issue where the player would go out of the course when using a Mega Mushroom on a turn inside “Wario Stadium”.
- Fixed an issue where the player gets caught on a tree in the middle of a shortcut if they have “Smart Steering” on when heading from “Starview Peak” to “Dandelion Depths” in “Ice Rally” of “Knockout Tour”.
- Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.
