Nintendo has released a surprise update for its Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World, adding new routes to the game's Knockout Tour mode. The 1.7.0 update is available now and includes two new route groupings: Drill Rally and Boomerang Rally. These new routes consist of existing courses arranged in different sequences for the Knockout Tour.
Drill Rally connects the Wario Shipyard to Bowser's Castle, while Boomerang Rally links Salty Salty Speedway to Whistlestop Summit. To access these new routes, players must have completed at least one Knockout Tour rally. Nintendo has indicated that additional Knockout Tour routes are planned for future updates.
Beyond the new routes, the update brings several gameplay adjustments and fixes. The acceleration performance of characters and vehicles with low acceleration has been improved, as has the gliding speed of high-speed characters and select vehicles. Players can now hop immediately after being hit by Kamek's magic or a Bullet Bill, and adjustments have been made to Jump Boost conditions and dash times after landing on rivals. The ability to stop a slipstream by braking before it begins has also been implemented. The acquisition rate of items from item boxes has been adjusted, and players can now see when a rival is holding a Super Horn.
Other additions include a new ramp leading from Airship Fortress to Bowser's Castle and support for the Thai language. The Photo Mode has also been enhanced with the ability to add collected stickers to pictures, usable via touch or mouse controls.
The patch notes also detail a number of fixed issues, including incorrect finish times in Time Trials, issues with gliding speed after crashing, and various course-specific problems such as players falling off the track, getting stuck on objects, or experiencing incorrect coin deductions. Some Bullet Bill mechanics have also been refined, and the behavior of Spiny Shells hitting gold blocks or broadcast vans has been corrected.
While the update does not introduce new characters, karts, or full tracks, it signals Nintendo's continued support for Mario Kart World. The addition of new Knockout Tour routes provides new objectives for players who have already achieved all gold trophies in the mode, with more content promised for the future.