Nintendo has released update version 1.7.0 for Mario Kart World on Switch 2, bringing two new routes to the Knockout Tour mode and enhancing the game's Photo Mode.
The newly added routes are Drill Rally and Boomerang Rally. These expand the total number of available Knockout Tour routes to 10, up from the eight featured at launch. Drill Rally traverses a course between Wario Shipyard and Bowser’s Castle, while Boomerang Rally features an A-shaped layout connecting Salty Salty Speedway and Whistlestop Summit. To access these new routes, players must have completed at least one Knockout Tour rally.
Knockout Tour, a mode introduced with Mario Kart World, comprises six tracks selected from major world map locations. In each course, players are eliminated if they are in the lowest four positions at each of the five checkpoints.
Beyond new race routes, the update also expands Photo Mode functionality with the addition of new stickers. These stickers can be placed when taking pictures and can be combined with existing frames. Previously collected stickers are also available for use within the updated Photo Mode.
This update also includes several performance enhancements. Characters and vehicles that previously had low acceleration will now experience faster acceleration. Additionally, the gliding speed for characters and vehicles that previously had high gliding speeds, as well as certain other characters and vehicles, has been increased.
Several gameplay adjustments have also been implemented. Players can now hop immediately after being hit by Kamek’s magic or a Bullet Bill. Conditions for performing a Jump Boost by shaking the controller when racing on water have been adjusted, and the dash time after landing on rivals has been extended. It is now possible to stop a slipstream by braking before it begins. The rate at which players acquire items from item boxes has also been adjusted for both races and Knockout Tour.
Furthermore, players can now see if a rival is holding a Super Horn. A ramp has been added to the race from Airship Fortress to Bowser's Castle, and support for the Thai language has been included, selectable via System Settings.
The update also addresses numerous bugs and issues. These include fixes for incorrect finish times in Time Trials, issues with gliding speed after crashing, incorrect behavior when hitting flying Goombas or Para-Biddybuds, and problems with getting on helicopters in multiplayer modes. Several course-specific fixes were also implemented, addressing issues such as Bob-omb throwing distances, Spiny Shell interactions with blocks and vans, players slipping through walls, getting stuck on objects, falling off courses after using items or performing jumps, coins being incorrectly deducted, and players falling from rails or getting stuck at shops. The update also resolves instances of Dry Bones falling through the ground and players falling off courses when driving along edges or after falling off on various courses.