by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a Nintendo Switch exclusive, continues to sell millions of copies even now, with the game now seven and a half years old.
In its latest financial report, Nintendo said that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold an additional 2.31 million copies from April to September, meaning Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has now sold an incredible 64.27 million copies. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold almost as many copies so far this fiscal year as the brand new The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and more than Pario Mario: The Thousand-Year Door or Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is by far the best-selling Nintendo Switch game, ahead of Animal Crossing: New Horizons (46.45 million) in second place. And its enduring popularity is easy to understand; Not only is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe fantastic in its own right, but it’s also an almost essential purchase for any new Switch owner looking for a fun game to play with family and friends pretty much out of the box. Speaking of which, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe looks to continue to sell well as Nintendo pushes the Switch ahead of the crucial holiday season.
The question now is: will Nintendo release a sequel, presumably Mario Kart 9, for the upcoming Switch 2, or continue Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s dominance via backwards compatibility and a beefy next-gen update?
Nintendo has kept its cards close to its chest when it comes to Switch 2 information so far. All that is officially said is that an announcement will be made sometime in the financial year ending March 2025. Analysts are now saying that Nintendo is unlikely to announce Switch 2 this year. A release for the console itself seems planned for the next financial year, which means April 2025 at the earliest.
Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
