Nintendo Switch 2 leaker hints Mario Kart 9 could be a launch title

Recently, Nintendo Switch 2 leaks have reached a fever pitch. Hardly a day goes by without an anonymous source claiming to have fresh information about Nintendo’s console, from videos of mockups to a potential look at the final design from a case maker. We are taking them all with a grain of salt, but a leak from this past weekend might be the most exciting to date: Mario Kart 9 might be ready in time for the launch of the Switch successor.

On Saturday, NextHandheld on the NintendoSwitch2 subreddit claimed to have “come from the future” with new details about the Switch 2 after getting their hands on the final retail model and its dock. They even provided convincing proof to a mod.

The leaker then proceeded to answer a variety of questions from other Redditors about the new console ahead of its official reveal, which is presumably slated for 2025. Here are several of the most interesting tidbits from their dozens of responses:

• The name of the console might actually be “Nintendo Switch 2,” as the leaker claims that there is “a giant 2 next to the original logo” on the new console.
• The dock is curved around the edges and doesn’t cover the entire display — the leaker speculates that Nintendo might use the visible screen space for a standby mode.
• The dock also has the same ports as the original Switch: 2 USB-A ports on the side as well as USB-C, HDMI, and Ethernet on the inside.
• The launch model will feature an LCD display, not an OLED.
• As many other rumors have suggested, the leaker has heard that Nintendo is currently planning to announce the new console in January 2025.
• The new Joy-Con controllers attach to the console magnetically, but they also have a special feature that leaks haven’t spoiled yet.
• Switch 2 game cards look the same as Switch game cards, but they won’t fit in the original console, so there will be Switch 2 exclusive games.

Beyond all of the information about the console itself, NextHandheld also claims that Nintendo will release a special edition Switch 2 bundle that will come with a game. He wouldn’t reveal the name of the game, but said that the number “9” is in the title.

The obvious first guess is Mario Kart 9, as Mario Kart 8 was the last major entry in the franchise. While Nintendo did re-release the kart racer as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch, it’s now been over ten years since the last numbered entry in the series.

The leaker wasn’t confident that the game-themed Switch 2 bundle would be available when the console launches next year, but Mario Kart 9 would certainly be a splashy launch title. We’ll have to wait for Nintendo’s official announcement to find out.