- Primary Subject: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Switch 2 Update
- Key Update: 8-player local multiplayer is now available.
- Status: Published
- Last Verified: 2026-09-02
- Quick Answer: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch 2 has been updated to support eight-player local multiplayer, alongside visual and performance improvements.
Mario Kart World be damned, you can now play 8-player local multiplayer in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Despite strong reviews and sales, MK World hasn’t quite lived up to fans' expectations. Given that—and the fact that 8 Deluxe remains the best-selling Switch game of all time, with over 71 million copies shipped as of June 2026—it makes complete sense that Nintendo is still updating it.
The surprise patch dropped on September 1 exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 users. It’s completely free and offers a few much-needed quality-of-life improvements.
The headline feature of the update is the ability to play with up to eight players on a single screen. Granted, you’ll need quite the setup to make it work, but if you've got a decently sized display and enough controllers to go around, nothing’s stopping you from turning a quiet Friday evening into a complete warzone.
The update also leverages the hardware power of the Switch 2 by introducing enhanced visuals and significantly faster load times.
To be clear, it’s not that MK World was a commercial flop. On the contrary, it has sold 15.39 million units as of June 2026, making it the runaway success of the Switch 2 and outselling the system's second-best-selling title, Pokémon Pokopia, by over 10 million copies.
It just so happens that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a timeless, virtually flawless package that continues to stand the test of time—now spanning three generations of Nintendo hardware.
And that’s it. Stick with us at Gfinityesports.com: your go-to source for all things Nintendo.