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"Mario Kart World Patch Sparks Outrage Among Nintendo Fans"

by Nicholas Jul 24,2025

Nintendo has rolled out a new update to *Mario Kart World*, and it’s stirring up some serious debate among fans. Version 1.1.2, released last night, quietly altered how the Random course selection works in online VS races—specifically by adjusting which courses appear when choosing the next race in a wireless VS session. While the patch notes are vague, the impact is clear: the Random option now includes nearby courses that require traveling through the game’s open-world intermission tracks, making those segments far more common.

So, what exactly is an intermission track? It's a fan-coined term for the stretch of open world players must drive through to reach a nearby course. Unlike traditional Mario Kart races, where you jump straight into a three-lap battle, these intermission-based races often involve a long drive across the map before playing just one lap of the actual track. Many players found this disruptive, especially in online play, where fast-paced, consistent racing is expected.

To avoid this, fans had been relying on the Random course selection to bypass nearby tracks entirely—hoping instead to be teleported directly to a distant course with no travel time. This effectively preserved the classic *Mario Kart* experience: three laps, no detours, pure racing. But with the latest update, that strategy no longer works as reliably. The updated Random function now pulls from the same pool of nearby suggested courses, increasing the odds of being funneled into an intermission-heavy race.

The change has sparked frustration across fan communities. A detailed thread on Restera highlights how this update contradicts what many players want: a streamlined, three-lap VS mode experience without the open-world filler. Instead, Nintendo appears to be pushing players toward engaging more deeply with the open world—even when they’d rather skip it.

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"Nintendo has basically stepped in and said 'no, you're supposed to play this way,'" commented fan GreenMamba. "They saw players clamoring for a more traditional online mode and did... the exact opposite of what they wanted."

The update may also make rare courses like Rainbow Road even harder to access online. As one of the game’s most beloved tracks, Rainbow Road is only reachable via its designated Grand Prix in the open world. That means fans hoping to race it in VS mode must rely entirely on the Random selector—now a much slimmer chance. "Good luck to ever even playing Rainbow Road online anymore," GreenMamba added. "Thanks I hate it," echoed another disappointed player. "Let people just play three-lap courses if they want to."

Some fans are calling for a dedicated three-lap VS mode option, separate from the open-world progression. Others suggest limiting intermission tracks to the Knockout Tour mode, where the open-world traversal makes more sense. But for now, Nintendo seems firm in its vision—one that prioritizes the open world, even at the cost of traditional gameplay preferences.

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While the open world of *Mario Kart World* has its charms—offering scenic routes, hidden secrets, and a relaxing space to unwind—it’s the long, often straight highways between tracks that fans find underwhelming. As IGN noted in our *Mario Kart World* review: "The highways aren't bad — in fact some of them can be very fun — but they're often extremely wide and straight, leading to long portions of each race that aren't as demanding or enjoyable as the twists and turns of the dedicated levels."

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For now, players should expect to see more of these open-world stretches during online VS races. Whether this is a long-term design choice or a temporary adjustment remains to be seen. In the meantime, fans continue to hope for more flexible options that honor both the new open-world format and the classic *Mario Kart* spirit.

Looking to dive deeper into *Mario Kart World*? Check out our complete guide to unlock every hidden character, understand how Kamek Unlocks work, and discover all the scattered food items across the map—each one key to unlocking permanent outfits and NPC drivers.