Nintendo's Changing Mario Kart World Again, Rebalancing Items and Adding Bob-omb Blast Battle Mode

· IGN

Nintendo has released a major new update for Mario Kart World, which rebalances items, adjusts recovery times, and adds another battle mode.

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Mario Kart World version 1.6.0 is available to download on Nintendo Switch 2 now, with its most prominent addition being Bomb-omb Blast, the battle mode option which returns from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. As with the standard battle mode option with balloons, the aim of the game here is to damage your opponent and survive to become the last player standing. Except now you're armed with bombs.

More interesting, perhaps, are the more subtle changes that Nintendo continues to make to the Mario Kart World meta, which will undoubtedly shift again following the release of this new patch.

Recovery time — that period of invincibility after you've crashed or spun out in a race — has now been varied between characters, so that lighter characters are safe for less time. Heavier characters now gain more invincibility time, meanwhile, which may make them more attractive to some players.

The bullet bill item has been buffed with faster speed on certain parts of specific tougher courses, and Nintendo states that "it is now easier to follow a shortcut route immediately after" using one. Presumably this is an adjustment to you dropping speed after exiting the bullet bill state, which slows you down further if you're off-road.

The boomerang item has seen a nerf, meanwhile, with cuts to its range and the number of consecutive throws allowed. Nintendo also says it has "adjusted the probability of items that can be obtained from item boxes during races", though frustratingly does not provide further detail on exactly how.

There's no mention in the patch notes to any further tweaks to Mario Kart World's actual world layout, which Nintendo has adjusted previously to spruce up some of its duller areas. We'll keep an eye on what fans find may or may not have changed as Nintendo continues to update its Switch 2 launch title. Certainly, the company has been busy — dozens of smaller bug fixes are also included in today's update, which you can read about in the full patch notes below.

Mario Kart World - Version 1.6.0 (Released 30th March 2026)

General

  • Added Bob-omb Blast as a Battle mode.
    • You can have up to 10 Bob-ombs on hand at a time.
    • The distance Bob-ombs can be thrown depends on how long you hold the L Button.
  • Adjusted the performance of Bullet Bill.
    • Increased their range of lateral movement.
    • It is now easier to follow a shortcut route immediately after using Bullet Bill.
    • Increased Bullet Bill’s speed on parts of the Bowser's Castle, Starview Peak, and Rainbow Road courses.
  • Adjusted the performance of the boomerang.
    • Reduced the boomerang’s range.
    • Reduced the number of consecutive throws allowed.
  • Adjusted the probability of items that can be obtained from item boxes during races.
  • Adjusted the invincibility time after spinning or crashing during a race so that it varies depending on the character and vehicle.
    • The heavier the weight, the longer the invincibility time.
  • Made it so that you won’t get crushed by things, such as Thwomps, while spinning or crashing.
  • It is now possible to be hit by lightning and Spiny Shells immediately after being crushed by things, such as Thwomps.
  • Made it so that things like Bob-ombs and Bananas don't bounce on top of the vines of Ivy Piranha Plants.
  • When playing Single Player or 1p during Online Play and Wireless Play, up to two warnings will be displayed when items like Red Shells or Spiny Shells come from behind.
  • Shortened the time until the roulette stops to determine the course in Online Play and Wireless Play.

Fixed Issues

  • Fixed an issue where the starting position would sometimes be incorrect.
  • Fixed an issue where cows and other creatures that appeared through Kamek's magic would fall through the ground.
  • Fixed an issue where the display of Wiggler that appeared through Kamek’s magic would sometimes be incorrect.
  • Fixed an issue where Thwomps or Rocky Wrench would appear in Airship Fortress or in the cannons in the race leading to Airship Fortress.
  • Fixed an issue where the character would sometimes disappear from view when looking in the rearview mirror after using a Mega Mushroom.
  • Fixed an issue where you could not return to a point before the Ivy Piranha Plant when using Rewind after transforming into a Bullet Bill.
  • Fixed an issue where the item slot would not display correctly after using Boo and returning to Free Roam.
  • Fixed an issue in Knockout Tour where players who passed through a checkpoint after the first-place player had already reached the goal would not be eliminated, even if their rank was outside the predetermined cutoff.
  • Fixed an issue in Time Trials where the display of stacked tires would sometimes appear incorrectly.
  • Fixed an issue in Free Roam where a fleeing Nabbit would fall through the ground.
  • Fixed an issue in Events where scores were not displayed on the results screen during practice.
  • Fixed an issue where the screen display would sometimes become distorted after selecting Change Character in Free Roam in Online Play.
  • Fixed an issue in Knockout Tour and Online Play where rankings would sometimes be incorrect after passing through checkpoints.
  • Fixed an issue where the selected event would disappear when a communication error occurred after selecting Online Play.
  • Fixed an issue in Online Play and Wireless Play where rivals using Bullet Bill sometimes appeared not to be transformed.
  • Fixed an issue where the final results were not displayed after spectating in Knockout Tour in Online Play or Wireless Play.
  • Fixed an issue in Knockout Tour where the player being spectated would not change after that player was eliminated.
  • Fixed an issue where the gliding distance could be excessively long during the race from Airship Fortress to Dry Bones Burnout.
  • Fixed an issue where using the Feather while jumping in Shy Guy Bazaar during races from Airship Fortress or Wario Stadium to Shy Guy Bazaar could cause you to go off course.
  • Fixed an issue where doing a wall ride in Shy Guy Bazaar during races from Airship Fortress or Wario Stadium to Shy Guy Bazaar could cause you to go off course.
  • Fixed an issue in Bowser's Castle where players could crash while driving over lava with a Dash Mushroom.
  • Fixed an issue in Salty Salty Speedway where players would sometimes fall through the ground after being hit by lightning and shrinking.
  • Fixed an issue when in a battle on DK Pass where you would sometimes not be returned to the course after using a Feather and ending up outside the course.
  • Fixed an issue where using a Mega Mushroom near the fence in Dino Dino Jungle could cause you to be returned to the course.
  • Fixed an issue in Koopa Beach where some buoys were buried in the ground.
  • Fixed an issue in Mario Circuit where using a Mega Mushroom could cause the player to get stuck on a fence.
  • Fixed an issue in Mario Circuit where players could sometimes be returned to the course when riding on a wall of blocks.
  • Fixed an issue where players would sometimes be returned to the course when driving along the wall near the starting point of Faraway Oasis.
  • Fixed an issue where Bloopers sometimes appeared dark in replays of Rainbow Road.
  • Fixed an issue in Rainbow Road where Spike Balls that appeared through Kamek's magic would sometimes move erratically.
  • Fixed an issue where using the Feather to take a shortcut on Rainbow Road could sometimes cause incorrect final rankings.
  • Fixed an issue where you would sometimes recover too far ahead if you fell off the course while gliding on Rainbow Road.
    • Time Trials ghosts that have encountered this issue may be removed from View Rankings without notice.
  • Fixed an issue in the race from Wario Shipyard to Starview Peak where players could sometimes fall off the course while taking a shortcut.
  • Fixed an issue where using a Mega Mushroom near the fence in Wario Stadium could cause the player to fall off the course.
  • Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

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