Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct: 3 big takeaways from the stream

For the last couple of weeks, much of the internet has been abuzz about Mario Kart World, but not entirely for positive reasons.

The flagship launch title for Nintendo Switch 2 looks and sounds great on paper, of course, but the unprecedented $80 price tag has raised plenty of eyebrows. Despite the skepticism, Nintendo has urged fans to reserve judgment until the standalone Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct livestream. Well, I did. This morning, Nintendo blew the kid off of Mario Kart World in a 15-minute Direct, and I've compiled the biggest takeaways from the event.

This is the most social Mario Kart yet

This was already hinted at during the big Switch 2 Direct a couple of weeks ago, but Nintendo is really pushing the social angle this time around. You can freely drive around its big open world with a group of friends online (don't worry, local split-screen races are still there, too), discovering new shortcuts or just taking big group photos together using the new Photo Mode.

Nintendo Switch 2 webcam support is built-in, so you can even see your friends' faces as they infuriatingly zoom past you across the finish line. Interestingly, the camera also works with local play, recognizing up to four people's faces in one frame and putting those faces in the game during races.

Nintendo also showcased a bit of the GameChat feature that allows for open-mic voice chat and screen-sharing. This didn't look much different from what we already saw in the Direct two weeks ago, though. The voice actors doing pretend video game voice chat in the trailer sure seemed to be having fun, and the screen-sharing video feed is still very choppy-looking.

There's a bit more to Free Roam than just driving around

The biggest new addition to Mario Kart World is the big open-world map that connects every racetrack. Nintendo confirmed that some classic Mario Kart tracks will be included in this world, so it's a mix of old and new. One of the biggest questions we've all had for the past two weeks, though, is about what else there is to do when you're not racing. Thankfully, this Direct gave us some clarification on that front.

Only some clarification, though. One thing Nintendo showed was optional challenges that start up when you find and hit P-switches, which can theoretically show you new shortcuts or strategies to use during races. It's unclear what kinds of rewards you get for finishing these challenges, though.

That's not all, of course. There are hidden coins and panels to find that serve heretofore unknown purposes, and seemingly other fun distractions that should hopefully make Free Roam worth doing. It's clear that there's more that Nintendo isn't showing right now, but just how much more is in question.

Food unlocks costumes, of course

Lastly, I'm most excited about the revelation of the role food plays in the new Mario Kart game. When I played the game a couple of weeks ago, I noticed fully cooked meals that showed up as collectible items on the track, but it wasn't totally clear what they did aside from sometimes change your character's appearance. According to Nintendo, that's the point: They unlock themed costumes you can use whenever you want afterward.

Examples given included Peach wearing a kimono after eating sushi, and Mario donning cowboy garb after eating some western-inspired food. This will probably be another great incentive to explore the world of Mario Kart World. Who doesn't love unlocking fun costumes?

Unfortunately, that's about it for the big new reveals in the Mario Kart World Direct. The game launches on June 5 for Nintendo Switch 2.