Mario Kart 8 Deluxe receives first update in 16 months

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch, which is the best-selling racing game of all time if you combine the Wii U release figures, has received its first update since January 2019.

Version 1.7.2 is available now and only tweaks two small elements:

• Addressed an issue that caused tournament points to be reset
• Addressed an issue that caused match history with friends to be reset

Lovely, we can’t complain about that. However, it did get us thinking.

You see, this game originally came out way back in 2014. Yes, it received DLC and then was thoroughly revised for the Switch re-release, but it’s nearly seven years since an all-new Mario Kart game and four years since Deluxe launched.

With unsubstantiated rumours circling about potential new Switch hardware, the time is right for some sort of significant update, especially when you consider the surprise release of online modes for Super Mario Party last month.

Or, you know, this could simply be a small patch and there’s nothing more to it. I refuse to get excited…