Mario Kart fans have been waiting for the Switch to get a new entry in the franchise for a long time. Nintendo has enthusiastically supported the mobile title Mario Kart Tour in the last few years, but fans want to see Mario Kart get a new console entry, which it hasn't had since 2014 when Mario Kart 8 released for Wii U. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe may be a hit on the Switch, but it isn't an entirely new experience. Thankfully, an increasing number of leakers claim that Mario Kart 9 is in the works and could get revealed sometime in 2022. If that's the case, there's a chance that Mario Kart fans will get a new racing game by the year's end.
The Mario Kart leaks suggest a bold new game that could send the franchise in the new direction, which sounds great. However, the more elaborate Mario Kart 9 leaks get, the more likely it seems that the rest of the Super Mario brand will have to step aside to make way for it. In particular, Mario Kart 9's rumored scale could suggest that Super Mario Odyssey 2 isn't coming out anytime soon. Although Super Mario fans are eager to get another platformer after Odyssey's overwhelming success, if Mario Kart 9 is as ambitious and experimental as sources claim, then Odyssey might need to be held off so Nintendo can focus on its peer.
The State of Mario in 2022
So far, Mario Kart 9 leaks have pretty consistently claimed that the game is all about crossover content. Other Nintendo IPs will enter the game in droves, rather than only a couple familiar faces appearing like in Mario Kart 8. If that's the case, Nintendo has a lot of advertising to do. It wouldn't be surprising to see Nintendo arrange a long-term ad campaign where it announces franchises appearing in Mario Kart 9 one by one. Considering how long it's been since consoles got a new Mario Kart game, as well as how long the Switch has gone without getting its own brand new Mario Kart game, Nintendo will probably make a big deal out of Mario Kart 9 regardless of its contents.
That may mean that there's not a lot of room for a new core Super Mario game in 2022. Leaks suggest that Nintendo will announce a Mario Sports game in this year alongside Mario Kart, and the official Mario movie is meant to release next December, so Nintendo's hands may already be full of Mario content in 2022 so far. With that in mind, Super Mario Odyssey 2 may not be destined for a 2022 release. Instead, 2022 might be defined by Super Mario spin-offs and side games.
Where is Super Mario Odyssey 2?
It's a little hard to imagine a Super Mario platformer giving up the stage for a spin-off, but Mario Kart is no ordinary spin-off. Mario Kart has always been an incredibly lucrative Nintendo franchise in its own right. Even if it's technically part of a side franchise, it wouldn't be hard to believe that Nintendo wants Mario Kart 9 to serve as the flagship Mario game of 2022. While naturally that would mean Super Mario Odyssey 2 won't show its head until around 2023, that could give Nintendo time to perfect Odyssey's sequel.
After all the love that Super Mario Odyssey got, it seems inevitable that Nintendo will confirm a sequel at some point, just like it did for Super Mario Galaxy. Of course, Odyssey's reputation means it's also a very hard game to follow up on, which could explain why Odyssey 2 is taking so long, if it exists at all. In the end, it's possible that Mario Kart 9 won't replace Odyssey 2 this year, but buy time for it. Until Nintendo confirms its 2022 plans for Mario's many franchises, fans will be left guessing, but leaks certainly suggest that Odyssey 2 is far off while Mario Kart 9 draws near.
Mario Kart 9 is rumored to be in development.