While many Nintendo fans were hoping to see guest characters from across the company’s universe in Mario Kart World, producer Kosuke Yabuki recently shared why that’s not happening—at least not yet. In a recent discussion, Yabuki explained that the decision to focus solely on characters from within the Mario universe was intentional. The team felt it simply “didn’t seem necessary” to add non-Mario characters just for the sake of it.
Instead of pulling from franchises like Zelda, Splatoon, or Kirby, the developers prioritized one thing: fun. According to Yabuki, the team asked themselves a key question when picking characters: “Would this character be fun to race against in a 24-player match?” That’s why we ended up with quirky additions like Goomba, Cow, and Pokey—characters you’d never expect to drive a kart, but ones that add surprise and chaos to the gameplay.
Yabuki also noted that they wanted to keep Mario Kart World feeling distinctly “Mario.” Bringing in too many characters from outside the universe might dilute that identity. It wasn’t about shutting out other franchises—it was about making sure the game had a strong, recognizable personality and stayed true to the series’ roots.
So while there’s no hard “no” on future guest racers, it’s clear the developers are laser-focused on delivering a Mario Kart game that feels like Mario Kart. Fun, fast, and filled with weird surprises—but still centered in the Mushroom Kingdom.
