After being the number one best-selling Nintendo Switch game for a few years, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe finally recieved some long-overdue DLC. These courses include remastered tracks from previous Mario Kart games through the years and liven up this Wii U port. But the courses release in waves, not all at once. Additionally, there are two ways to access this paid DLC.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has long been one of the best Nintendo Switch games available, but now it’s gotten even better with paid DLC.

How many tracks are in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has a total of 48 courses, 32 of which were provided with the base game and 16 were added after the game was ported from the Wii U version. The Booster Course Pass will add another 48 tracks over time, effectively doubling what was already available on Switch to 96 tracks total.

The Booster Course Pass tracks are not releasing all at once, though. There will be six different waves, with each wave containing eight tracks. Additionally, within Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, each Cup is made up of four courses, meaning that two Cups are releasing with each wave.

Which Cups and tracks are coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass?

Instead of being entirely new, these are remastered tracks from previous Mario Kart entries. Here’s everything we’ve been able to confirm so far. We’ll keep our ears to the ground and will update when we learn more.

As far as we know, it sounds like only new tracks are coming. There hasn’t been any mention of additional power-ups. It’s likely Nintendo is saving new elements for Mario Kart 9, which reportedly is being developed with a new “twist.” Don’t hold your breath for the next game, though. It’s likely Mario Kart 9 will release with Nintendo’s next-gen console after the Switch.

Are there any new characters?

Unfortunately, the same goes for characters. While we would love to see additional Nintendo characters who haven’t been behind the wheel yet, like Samus Aran, Zelda, or Pikachu, no additional characters have been mentioned thus far. It’s likely that this DLC will only include new tracks and not much else.

How to access new tracks

Players must have the base game in order to play the Mario Kart DLC. It’s important to note that even if you have access to the Booster Course Pass through the Nintendo Switch Onlinen + Expansion Pack, you will need to download the DLC before you can play the new courses in the base game. For assistance with these steps, check out our guide on how to access Mario Kart 8 Booster Course Pass tracks.

Play with a friend who doesn’t have the DLC

As reported by EuroGamer, Nintendo’s official UK page for the Booster Course Pass states that people can play the DLC courses with friends online who have purchased the DLC even if they haven’t purchased the DLC themselves.

Courses from wave 1 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass can be played from March 18th locally or online in Friends and Rivals races, even if only one player owns the Booster Course Pass or has access to it as part of a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. From March 22nd, courses from wave 1 will also appear in the Random selection when playing Global or Regional races with anyone online.

How much is it?

You can get your hands on this DLC in one of two ways.

• Option 1: You can purchase it separately for $25. Preorders are currently open on Best Buy.
• Option 2: The other route is to have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. This gives you access to all of the Sega Genesis and N64 games available on the service, along with Animal Crossing Happy Home Paradise DLC, and, of course, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass. It’s $50 for a one-year Individual Membership or $80 for a one-year Family Membership.

When does the first wave release?

The first wave of Booster Course Pass DLC released on March 18, 2022, and the last wave is slated to release sometime in the end of 2023.

Tear up the tracks

Prove you’re the best racer on even more Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tracks. Those of us who have been playing various entries for decades will find plenty of remastered classic courses to keep us entertained, while anyone new to the series will just love having new challenges brought their way.