Throughout the start of 2022, multiple leakers claimed that Nintendo had started development on Mario Kart 9 for the Switch. Naturally, that drove Mario Kart fans to watch the February 2022 Nintendo Direct in the hopes of a proper reveal for the game, and while fans did get Mario Kart news, it wasn't quite what fans expected. Instead of a new game, Nintendo announced the Booster Course Pass DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which will add 48 previous racetracks to the game over the course of 2022 and 2023. It's certainly a robust expansion, but considering how long it's been since Nintendo released a new Mario Kart game, it wasn't exactly what fans were hoping for either.