The attention of fans of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been grabbed by the possibility that there may be new DLC characters coming, thanks to a recent leak. Hints and suggestions have surrounded the game about the potential of new characters being added to the mix, which has led hardcore fans keeping a close eye on the game files of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for any clues about who might be coming.Despite releasing way back in 2017, Mario Kart 8 does not have a big history of updates. New tracks and cups have generally been the focus, rather than new drivers. Though fans have been largely happy with the roster of characters as is, Nintendo always has more up its sleeve to diversify a great selection even more. The next wave of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass DLC, announced back in February on the first Nintendo Direct of 2023, got fans excited for a brand new track and a single new character, Birdo. With that, theories both grounded and wildly speculative have arisen about what the future of the game might hold.Twitter user teebeeYT believes they might have found a clue about what's coming next for Mario Kart 8's roster of characters. In an apparent leak, a long list of new drivers for the upcoming Booster Course Pass has made its way onto social media. File names for what appear to be a great many DLC drivers have supposedly been found in the game's data, including Catherine, King Bob-omb, Diddy Kong, and Pauline, among many others. The leak comes from an anonymous source who claims to work on the game themselves, and while leaks from Nintendo insiders are not uncommon, there has not yet been any confirmation of this information's authenticity.
If this leak reflects the real plans for the game, then it's a big surprise given that all players had confirmed for the DLC so far was a single new driver, Birdo. With that said, there are more than a couple of caveats to mention. The leak contains 14 new characters, for one thing. A great many more than the confirmed one. Birdo will come in wave four of the DLC, releasing on March 9, and with only two more waves left, this would be a lot to add in such a short time compared to their past output. Some fans have even taken to crafting custom content for Mario Kart 8 with new content coming in so rarely.
Furthermore, these characters have not been found in the game's data; they were just leaked by someone claiming to work on the game. There's no other independent confirmation for the leak's validity. At the same time, many of the new drivers in this leak appear in the mobile game Mario Kart Tour. Mario Kart Tour has had plenty of updates throughout the years. Their addition to Mario Kart 8 is far from out of the question, then.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available now for Nintendo Switch.