Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct build-up live: start time, how to watch, official runtime, and all our predictions for the upcoming Switch 2 game

Will rainbow road return?

There's one iconic track that feels like it's been missing from everything we've heard about Mario Kart World so far... I'm of course talking about the legendary rainbow road, which I think will make appearance at the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct.

I suspect that it will be the very last track on the game's final cup, which would make for a pretty incredible send-off.

The previous entry in the series, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features not just one or two, but five distinct versions of rainbow road so it seems absurd to suggest that we won't get at least one version of it this time around.

Show me the starting roster!

On that note, I'm hoping for full confirmation of the starting roster of racers. So far we have seen a whopping 50, yes you read that right: 50, playable characters, which is far more than any previous Mario Kart game.

The full list of confirmed characters so far is as follows:

• Mario
• Luigi
• Peach
• Toad
• Toadette
• Donkey Kong
• Bowser
• Daisy
• Yoshi
• Birdo (my personal pick)
• Wario
• Waluigi
• Rosalina
• Bowser Jr.
• Shy Guy
• Koopa Troopa
• King Boo
• Dry Bones
• Paulina
• Baby Mario
• Baby Luigi
• Baby Peach
• Baby Daisy
• Baby Rosalina
• Nabbit
• Moo Moo
• Lakitu
• Wiggler
• Hammer Bro
• Charging Chuck
• Spike
• Piranha Plant
• Pianta
• Dolphin
• Goomba
• Para-Biddybud
• Sidestepper
• Stingby
• Penguin
• Cataquack
• Monty Mole
• Swoop
• Pokey
• Cheep Cheep
• Peepa
• Snowman
• Fish Bone
• Coin Coffer
• Conkdor
• Rocky Wrench

We've also seen plenty of unique outfits, though right now it's not clear whether these are just cosmetics to unlock or something a little deeper. Hopefully we'll find out soon...

What are we going to see?

Given that short run time, I’m now wondering what exactly is going to be shown off. I imagine that the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct will be more like an extended overview trailer than a traditional Nintendo Direct, presumably giving us a breakdown of the game’s main modes.

I’m expecting plenty of time on the Grand Prix mode, focusing on how it differs from previous entries. If you need a quick refresher, Mario Kart World features a more open world that sees you driving between race courses rather than a simple transition or loading screen.

I think we will also be shown much more of the Knockout Tour mode, which is effectively a Battle Royale take on Mario Kart. 24 players face off in a fast-paced race, with checkpoints which see those at the back gradually eliminated.

The Free Roam mode will also likely be there, ideally detailing the kinds of activities that will be available in the open world. I’m personally hoping for some information on any potential collectibles or mini challenges, which would help make exploration seem more worthwhile.

Nintendo officially confirms the broadcast’s length

Nintendo has confirmed that the Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct will last for approximately 15 minutes. That’s honestly much shorter than I was expecting and significantly below the roughly 40 or so minute runtime of most Nintendo Direct broadcasts.

This is undoubtedly going to be disappointing news for some, but I’m hopeful that Nintendo will still be able to squeeze in some interesting new details.

Good afternoon, gamers, and welcome to the beginning of my Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct coverage!

I'm going to be walking you through the build-up to the highly anticipated presentation, sharing the latest details as they come in, plus plenty of rumors and some personal predictions about what might be in store.