Mario Kart World Update 1.5.0 Brings Team Races to Knockout Tour

Nintendo Switch 2 owners fired up their consoles on January 21, 2026, to discover a significant new update for Mario Kart World. The version 1.5.0 patch delivers fresh content and essential improvements, with the highlight being the introduction of highly requested team races to the popular Knockout Tour mode. This update promises to fundamentally reshape competitive multiplayer dynamics, offering new strategic depth while also enhancing accessibility with Polish language support and resolving critical bugs that plagued players on specific tracks and in online lobbies.

Team Races Transform Knockout Tour Experience

The most notable addition in the 1.5.0 update is the integration of team races into Mario Kart World’s Knockout Tour. Previously, this mode was exclusively focused on individual competition, challenging racers to outlast opponents on their own. Now, players engaging in online or wireless play rooms can join forces with teammates to compete against opposing squads, adding a crucial layer of cooperative strategy.

This new functionality fundamentally changes how players approach Knockout Tour sessions. Instead of every racer fighting solely for personal survival, participants now collaborate to ensure their team’s collective success. As detailed by Vice, players can set up Knockout Tour races as two-team (12 vs. 12), three-team (8 vs. 8 vs. 8), or four-team (6 vs. 6 vs. 6 vs. 6) competitions. If there aren’t enough human players, CPU drivers will seamlessly fill the remaining spots, ensuring dynamic and full races.

The winning team is determined by the total points earned by its members, with points awarded based on each driver’s overall placement. A unique winning condition also guarantees victory for a team if all four of its drivers manage to pass through the final checkpoint. For those eliminated early, the game offers a spectator mode, allowing them to watch the remainder of the race, switch camera views to follow specific teammates, and even share comments with fellow spectators. This seamless implementation, requiring no additional setup beyond entering a compatible room, ensures that both local wireless gatherings and internet-based competitions can fully leverage the new team racing format.

Expanding Accessibility with Polish Language Support

Nintendo continues its commitment to global accessibility with the version 1.5.0 update by adding Polish language support to Mario Kart World. This expansion allows a broader audience of players to experience the game in their native language, joining the existing roster of supported languages. The process for switching languages is straightforward: users simply navigate to the system menu within their Nintendo Switch 2 settings, locate the ‘Language’ option, and select Polish from the available choices. The change applies immediately, transforming all in-game text and menus to accommodate Polish-speaking players.

This move aligns with Nintendo’s broader strategy of making its flagship titles more inclusive, as noted by Rolling Out. The addition of Polish language support not only enhances the user experience for many but also reflects a growing trend in the gaming industry to cater to diverse linguistic communities.

Critical Fixes Enhance Stability and Fairness

Beyond the headline feature of team races, the 1.5.0 update addresses several critical technical issues that had been a source of frustration for the Mario Kart World community. Nintendo’s development team tackled a particularly troublesome bug that caused game-ending crashes for players. Specifically, the update resolves an issue where the game would sometimes abruptly terminate when racing as Kamek on Choco Mountain, one of the game’s classic tracks. This fix means players can now confidently select Kamek without the fear of their session ending prematurely. While some reports, such as from IGN, have noted that Kamek is not yet a playable character in Mario Kart World, suggesting the fix might pertain to an item or other in-game element, the resolution targets a well-documented stability problem.

Another significant fix targets a persistent problem affecting the online play experience. Players had previously encountered situations where their displayed rating would show incorrect values when joining ‘Everyone’ lobbies while already in a room. This visual discrepancy caused confusion about actual skill rankings, making it difficult for competitive players to accurately gauge their true standing. The correction ensures that the numbers displayed reflect reality, providing greater transparency and fairness in online competition, a point highlighted by Mirror Gaming.

In addition to these specific fixes, Nintendo included a general statement about addressing several other issues to improve the overall gameplay experience. While the company did not elaborate on these additional fixes, such comprehensive patches typically target smaller glitches, performance optimizations, and quality-of-life improvements that contribute to smoother overall performance, even if not immediately noticeable to every player. These behind-the-scenes enhancements can range from collision detection refinements to loading time optimizations, all contributing to a more polished and enjoyable racing experience.

Seamless Update Access for All Players

Players eager to experience the new team races and benefit from the bug fixes need to ensure they have downloaded the version 1.5.0 update. For Nintendo Switch 2 consoles connected to the internet with automatic updates enabled, the patch should install automatically. Those who have disabled automatic downloads can manually check for updates through the game’s options menu or the system settings. As Mirror Gaming outlines, the process involves highlighting Mario Kart World on the HOME Menu, pressing the ‘+’ or ‘–’ button, selecting ‘Software Update,’ and then ‘Via the Internet.’

The update file size remains relatively modest, typical of content patches that add features without introducing entirely new tracks or characters. Most players should find the download completes quickly, even on moderate internet connections, allowing them to dive into the enhanced game experience without significant delay.

Mario Kart World continues to evolve months after its initial launch, with Nintendo demonstrating ongoing support for the title. The version 1.5.0 update represents the latest in a series of improvements that have steadily enhanced the racing experience. By focusing on a highly requested feature like team races, alongside crucial bug fixes and expanded language support, Nintendo showcases a commitment to iterative development and player engagement, ensuring its flagship Switch 2 racing game remains fresh, competitive, and accessible for its dedicated global player base. This strategy helps maintain a vibrant community and extends the longevity of the title in the competitive gaming landscape.