Game Over: Nintendo Confirms Mario Kart Tour Will Vanish Forever on 30 September

Nintendo has confirmed that Mario Kart Tour will be permanently shut down on 30 September, bringing an end to one of its most successful mobile games after six years and more than 200 million downloads.

The company announced that the free-to-play racing title will cease service at 11:00 p.m. Pacific on 29 September through an end-of-service notice posted on its website. Nintendo also confirmed there will be no offline version of the game, meaning players will permanently lose access to their progress, online races and all gameplay once the servers go offline.

'Service for the Mario Kart Tour game for smart devices will come to an end as of 11:00 p.m. Pacific on September 29. We sincerely thank the many players who have loved and supported the game since service began so long ago. Thank you for playing Mario Kart Tour,' the statement read.

Unlike Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, which received an offline version allowing players to continue enjoying much of the game after online services ended, Mario Kart Tour will not receive the same treatment. Nintendo confirmed in its FAQ that no offline version is planned, making the September shutdown permanent.

Players still have a limited window to make the most of the game before it disappears. Automatic Gold Pass subscription renewals were cancelled during MKT maintenance on 7 July, but players whose memberships extend beyond that date will continue receiving all Gold Pass benefits free of charge until the service ends. Those without a membership will also gain access to those bonuses from the start of the Vacation Tour on 4 August.

Nintendo has also ended all ruby sales, although players can continue spending any remaining premium currency in the Spotlight Shop, Mii Racing Suit Shop and Coin Rush until the servers shut down.

Mario Kart Tour's End Had Been Signalled for Years

For long-time players, the announcement is unlikely to come as a surprise. Nintendo effectively placed Mario Kart Tour into maintenance mode in 2023, ending the release of new courses, drivers, karts, gliders and other major content updates.

Released in 2019, Mario Kart Tour quickly became one of Nintendo's biggest mobile successes, surpassing 200 million downloads while regularly receiving fresh content before updates ceased in 2023.

The game's monetisation strategy initially attracted controversy because it relied on gacha-style mechanics to unlock characters and karts. Following criticism, Nintendo replaced the system in 2022 with a more conventional item shop and subscription model.

As new content dried up, the game's player base and revenue gradually declined, signalling that its lifecycle was drawing to a close as Nintendo shifted its focus to other projects within the Mario Kart franchise.

Nintendo's Mobile Line-up Shrinks

The closure of Mario Kart Tour further reduces Nintendo's smartphone gaming catalogue, which now includes titles such as Fire Emblem Heroes, Super Mario Run and Pikmin Bloom.

However, the shutdown does not necessarily signal Nintendo's exit from mobile gaming, with the company continuing to support and release smartphone titles alongside its console business.

Players who want to continue racing in the Mario Kart franchise can move to Mario Kart World on the Nintendo Switch 2, although that option is only available to owners of Nintendo's latest console.

For everyone else, the countdown has begun. Once the servers go offline on 30 September, Mario Kart Tour will no longer be playable in any form. With no offline mode available, players will permanently lose access to their saved progress, races and all online features, bringing the curtain down on one of Nintendo's most successful mobile releases.