Mario Kart 8 Deluxe gets a Switch 2 update with 8-player local multiplayer

Nintendo has released a new update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe aimed at those already playing on Switch 2. According to Eurogamer Spain, the patch introduces improvements specific to the new console and, as the headline feature, enables local multiplayer for up to eight players. A move that, this far into the game's life, few saw coming.

The news matters because Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains one of the pillars of couch gaming, meetups and in-person community tournaments. Raising the number of local participants changes how events are organized, how content gets recorded with friends and how competition is approached away from the internet. For a team like Underworld Lordz, with members spread across the Americas and Europe, anything that makes it easier to get more racers into the same room deserves attention.

What you need to know

• Nintendo has released a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe update with improvements geared toward Switch 2.
• The main addition is eight-player local multiplayer on the new console.
• The patch targets those playing the title on Switch 2, not the original Switch version.
• The core information comes from Eurogamer Spain; for now, public technical details are scarce.

What changes and who it affects

Until now, getting a lot of players together in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe almost always meant going online. With this update, local play on Switch 2 opens up to eight participants, bringing the in-room experience close to that of a full online race. It's the difference between running a final in a living room and having to depend on everyone's connection.

Three groups benefit the most. First, in-person tournament organizers, who will be able to set up eight-player races without resorting to online lobbies. Second, content creators, who gain a way to record sessions with more people in the same room, with real reactions and none of the noise of latency. And third, the everyday community that still picks this game as the king of group sessions.

One point calls for caution: the source mentions eight-player local multiplayer and Switch 2 improvements, but it doesn't go into detail about how the screens are split, what the requirements are or whether other performance tweaks are included. Until Nintendo or the players themselves document exactly how it works, the sensible thing is not to assume anything more.

A veteran that refuses to retire

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been the meeting point for a huge community for years, and it has outlived more than one console generation with continued support. That it's getting an update of this scale in the Switch 2 era, when the series already has a new entry in the console's lineup, says a lot about the player base that remains active. Nintendo doesn't usually invest in games it considers done, so this patch is also a sign that the title still has road ahead of it.

Our take

Here at the Underworld Lordz newsroom, we see it as good news with some caveats. The upside is obvious: competitive Mario Kart has always had its heart in in-person play, and eight players locally bring meetups closer to the real race format. For our creators, it also opens the door to a kind of content that was fading away: the packed room, the shouting, the blue shell on the final turn in front of everyone. That hooks a live audience far more than any silent lobby.

The caveats come down to communication. Once again, Nintendo drops a relevant feature with little explanation of the details, and the community has to figure out on its own how it works. For anyone organizing events, not knowing clearly what it takes to set up an eight-player race is a practical problem, not a footnote. It's also worth asking whether this support reflects a long-term plan for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch 2 or is a one-off gesture to justify the console upgrade.

Even so, the balance is positive. If the update delivers on its promise, we'll have one more tool for in-person finals, for community streams and for attracting players who have never felt comfortable competing online. And in a landscape where many titles are abandoning local play, seeing one of the biggest go the opposite way is something to be grateful for.

What do you think?

We want to know whether this update changes your plans: whether you're going to set up eight-player meetups, whether you think Nintendo should explain its patches better, or whether Mario Kart 8 Deluxe no longer has a place next to the new entry. Drop by the team chat or our Discord and tell us. Would you organize an in-person Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tournament again now that eight racers fit in the same room?