Goodbye to Mario Kart Tour: Nintendo will shut down the game for good and won’t offer any offline alternatives
The only Mario Kart game for mobile devices will be shutting down very soon.
Nintendo is shutting down another one of its mobile games. After doing the same a few years ago with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Mario Kart Tour is now following suit. The difference from the aforementioned game is that this one doesn’t offer any alternatives for continuing to play without an internet connection.
In a brief statement, Nintendo makes it clear that Mario Kart Tour will shut down for good on September 30 at 2:00 a.m. ET. After that, the game will no longer be playable. As of July 8, the sale of rubies—which served as the in-game currency for purchasing content—has also ceased.
The Golden Pass is a different matter; it provided cosmetic perks during the season. It follows the same path as the Rubies in that new passes can no longer be purchased, but those who have a premium subscription after this date will continue to enjoy the associated benefits until the end of the game.
Mario Kart Tour: The Life and Times of a Game in the Shadow of 8 Deluxe’s Success
Mario Kart Tour launched on September 25, 2019, as a free-to-play game for iOS and Android mobile devices. It was part of Nintendo’s strategy to strengthen the presence of its flagship brands beyond its consoles. Mario, Fire Emblem, and Animal Crossing were other franchises that found a similar home on these platforms.
The problem is that it never really gained a strong foothold in the community, and little by little, the exodus of players hastened the final decision. It also coincided with a time when fans of the series were swept up in the excitement of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which was enjoying a second wind thanks to its re-release on the Nintendo Switch.
In fact, the only positive contribution Mario Kart Tour made to the franchise was the Nitro Tracks—all-new courses that put the spotlight on several major capitals around the world. All of these tracks were later added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe via the Booster Course Pass, which added 48 tracks to the game, including the ones mentioned above. In a way, this is the definitive version of the eighth installment.
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