Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe is a multiplayer kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo. Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe is rated “E” for Everyone.

Players control their beloved Mario franchise characters in kart racing, collecting various items to hinder opponents or gain advantages in each race. Many new driving features are available to players, such as motorbikes, hang gliders, underwater racing, anti-gravity driving, and vehicle customization.

Players can select from over 40 racers and tracks and race using one of the several karts with countless customization options that are unlocked as the game is played. In their matches, players will select their preferred character and kart, whereas all players will randomize their track selection.

Teams of four players will compete against each other in a Best-of-3 games format. Each game will consist of six races, with teams earning points based on the finishing place of their players at the end of each race.

The team with the most points at the end of the six races will win the game. The first team to win two games will be awarded the win for the match. Each game lasts about 25 minutes on average.

Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe will be played online on the Nintendo Switch.

Mario Kart’s official match days will be on Thursdays.

Recommended (one device setup per player)

Minimum (one device setup per two players)

Players are encouraged to play on their Nintendo Switch for optimal game experience. If necessary, Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe allows up to two players to compete online from a single Nintendo Switch console.

There is also a paid Booster Course Pass that unlocks additional tracks and racers for your players. This purchase is not required to compete, but these tracks can still be selected as a part of the randomized selection process if any player in the game lobby has purchased the DLC.

Due to the in-game match flow found within Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe, the best possible competitive experience allows for full randomization of tracks during a match. Creating a track selection system that worked consistently without breaking the game's flow was difficult. We also used a specific set of tracks throughout the season. Still, we found it difficult to enforce in-game without causing issues of competitive integrity and generating match disputes.

We decided that keeping track selection random would be best to find the best middle ground that allowed for the largest variety of tracks and was equally fair for both competing teams.

All in-game actions that would not be considered glitches, exploits, or cheating are allowed. Each track has many shortcuts, so we encourage teams and players to find and study to improve their overall lap times.

In addition to the guide above, many professional Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe players provide tutorials and useful information on YouTube. This can range from extensive guides on specific racers and tracks to general beginner’s guides to the gameplay. Top players will also show their matches on YouTube and Twitch to explain their mindset and reasonings. With this in mind, record and review your team’s matches to help them overcome their weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths.

All Nintendo titles offer a purchaseable physical copy (found at many retailers) or a digital copy (found online). After purchasing a physical copy, the game card can be inserted into the Nintendo Switch console to begin any necessary automatic downloads. Purchasing digital copies provides a 16-character code that can be redeemed in the Nintendo eShop from the Switch console. Steps for redeeming a digital code can be found here via Nintendo Support.