Mario Kart World Version 1.4.0 Update – Custom Items, Route Changes And Big Fixes

5 December 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
12 min.
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Mario Kart World Version 1.4.0 Update – Custom Items, Route Changes And Big Fixes

Summary:

Mario Kart World has just taken another big step forward with version 1.4.0, a fresh update that quietly reshapes how races feel on Nintendo Switch 2. On paper it looks like a familiar mix of new options, quality tweaks and bug fixes, but once you dig in, it becomes clear that this patch is aimed right at the players who live inside Knockout Tour rooms, squeeze out every millisecond in Time Trials and spend evenings cruising through Koopa Troopa Beach with friends. Custom Items finally give everyone a way to tune races to match the mood, whether that means pure chaos with shells and bombs or a cleaner sprint where only mushrooms matter.

At the same time, Nintendo has tuned several modes so it is easier to gather in a room, jump between play types and keep the momentum going without constant menu breaks. Music controls now feel closer to a modern racer, with track names on the pause screen and a dedicated volume slider, while Time Trials gain more flexibility thanks to quick access to Photo Mode. Under the surface sit a long list of fixes that finally smooth out trouble spots, especially for Bullet Bill paths, Koopa Troopa Beach laps and some surprisingly nasty online glitches that could ruin a Knockout Tour run. Put together, version 1.4.0 makes Mario Kart World feel more stable, more customizable and better suited to long nights of racing across its connected world.

Mario Kart World version 1.4.0 at a glance

Version 1.4.0 lands as a free update for Mario Kart World on Nintendo Switch 2, arriving on December 2, 2025 and installing automatically as long as the system is online. The first thing you notice is not a flashy new mode, but a more refined structure around what is already there. Custom Items join the ruleset, new options appear in the pause menu, and online rooms now have more ways to keep a group together across different activities. Beneath that layer sit dozens of course specific changes and bug fixes that aim to reduce weird collisions, off track glitches and item behavior that never felt quite fair.

Mario Kart World was already built around an open world structure, with Knockout Tour and Free Roam tying classic tracks together in one big road trip, so stability really matters in this racer. When a Bullet Bill slams you into a wall or a curve throws you into the void during a long run, it hurts more than in a short three lap sprint. That is why this patch leans heavily on adjustments that players will slowly feel across many evenings of play rather than a single flashy bullet point. Still, there are some headline changes that immediately catch the eye, and Custom Items sits right at the top of that list for good reason.

Custom Items finally arrive in Mario Kart World

Custom Items is the feature fans have been asking for ever since Mario Kart World launched, and it finally appears in version 1.4.0 as a flexible rule set you can apply to several modes. Instead of accepting the default item pool, you can now toggle individual items on or off and build the kind of race that fits your group. Want a chaos heavy lobby full of shells, bombs and Bullet Bills with no coins in sight. You can do that. Prefer a more skill based sprint that leans on mushrooms, maybe a few defensive shells and nothing that can erase a hard earned lead in one hit. That is on the table too. The option applies to VS Race, Balloon Battle, Coin Runners and rooms in online or wireless play, which covers the spaces where friends usually meet up to experiment.

What makes Custom Items so powerful is how it opens up house rules that previously lived only in voice chat or imagination. A group that loves heavy vehicles can build lobbies where bombs rule every corner, while players who enjoy long, tense duels can strip out the most punishing power items and focus on smart driving and perfect drifts. It even helps with unlocks, since you can tune item sets to focus on specific power ups tied to certain objectives. Over time, this kind of control tends to lengthen a racer’s life, because you can reinvent familiar tracks with new item philosophies instead of waiting for fresh cups or whole new modes. In Mario Kart World, which already encourages playful experimentation across one big map, Custom Items feel like a natural next step that finally gives players the keys to their own chaos dial.

Multiplayer upgrades and new room flexibility

Online play in Mario Kart World always revolved around gathering in rooms, but version 1.4.0 makes those rooms far more flexible. Now, when a lobby is formed in the online room feature, everyone can bounce between Race, Knockout Tour and Battle from inside that same gathering space instead of constantly disbanding and reforming. Up to four players can jump into these modes together from a single room, making it far easier for small squads to stay glued together through an evening of mixed play. On top of that, there is a new way to join friends who are already racing through a Knockout Tour in two player online play, so arriving late no longer means sitting outside the fun.

The result is a social experience that feels closer to a persistent hangout than a lobby that dissolves every time someone wants a different race type. Imagine starting with a few warm up VS races, switching straight into a Knockout Tour marathon and then cooling down with Battle rounds, all without losing your group. That flow makes a big difference for players who treat Mario Kart World as a regular weekly meeting spot. It is also a quiet win for families and local groups, since two player online with friend join support is much easier to manage than juggling friend lists and invites at every step. These are the kinds of changes that do not show up in trailers, yet they make living with the racer feel smoother day after day.

Music and audio controls with track names and volume

Version 1.4.0 gives the soundtrack a little love too. The pause menu now shows the name of the music track that is currently playing along with the source title, which is a small but welcome touch for anyone who has ever paused mid race wondering which remix is blasting through their speakers. At the same time, a new music volume option appears inside the controller and settings menu, letting players tune the audio mix without dipping into the general system settings. It might sound minor on the surface, yet for a racer where music shifts from sunny beach tunes to heavy spaceport beats in seconds, being able to quickly tweak levels is a relief.

There is also something strangely satisfying about putting a name to the track that has been stuck in your head for days. When you can see that a certain Koopa Troopa Beach theme is playing, it becomes much easier to search for it later on streaming services or simply remember which layout carried that melody. This kind of clarity fits nicely with the rest of the update, which leans heavily on quality of life improvements. Taken together, Custom Items, better room flow and audio control show a team responding to the way people actually play, rather than only focusing on giant new features. Mario Kart World now feels a bit more like a modern racing hub where presentation and comfort are treated as seriously as raw lap times.

Time Trials, Ghost racing and Photo Mode tweaks

Time Trials fans are not left out either. In version 1.4.0, the pause menu in Race against Ghost within Time Trials now includes a quick option to enter Photo Mode, giving players a smoother way to grab stylish shots without backing all the way out to Free Roam or other modes. Mario Kart World already leaned heavily on its photo features, with players snapping shots of karts catching air or drifting under neon billboards, so having easier access while chasing ghosts makes the mode feel more integrated with the rest of the game. You can nail a perfect line, pause, then immediately capture the moment from a cinematic angle.

This tweak might sound tiny compared to a brand new cup, yet it treats Time Trials as something more than a raw practice mode. It acknowledges that racing fans like to celebrate their best runs, share them with friends and build little memories around a clean section. Combined with the many bug fixes that improve how karts interact with walls and obstacles, Time Trials runs should now feel more consistent, which is vital when you are chasing ghosts for fractions of a second. The smoother camera support and reduced chance of clipping through geometry make each attempt feel more trustworthy, turning what was once a slightly rough side activity into something that can hold its own as a long term obsession.

Big route changes around Koopa Troopa Beach

One of the biggest structural changes in version 1.4.0 happens on the routes that involve Koopa Troopa Beach. Several races that begin or end at this iconic seaside location now share an updated layout, and any race that heads toward Koopa Troopa Beach will now finish after two laps once you arrive on the beach. That means the final stretch across the sand is no longer just a quick transition, but a more deliberate segment you tackle twice before crossing the line. It affects routes such as Koopa Troopa Beach to DK Spaceport, Crown City, Peach Stadium and the reverse trips that feed back toward the shore.

For players, this shift changes how you plan boosts, shortcuts and item usage. You now know that the sand section will ask you to hold focus for longer, with a second lap giving everyone another shot at risky lines or clever mushroom hops over small gaps. It also makes Koopa Troopa Beach feel more like a destination race rather than a quick pass through on the way to bigger landmarks. Because Mario Kart World weaves its tracks together across one continuous map, these route adjustments ripple outward, affecting Knockout Tour pacing and even Free Roam journeys where friends drive these paths casually. It is the kind of tweak you might not fully grasp until you have run the new laps a few times, then suddenly you realize your old muscle memory has to adjust.

Small handling upgrades that make races feel smoother

Alongside the big Koopa Troopa Beach tweaks, version 1.4.0 hides several small handling upgrades that quietly make races feel better. You now automatically dash when riding on Manta Ramp’s back, which means less guesswork about timing and a more satisfying rhythm when chaining tricks across certain jumps. The update also corrects issues where dash timing after charge jumps did not feel right, ensuring that players who master advanced techniques get the reward they expect instead of inconsistent speed bursts. These changes do not scream for attention, yet they add up, especially for players who have spent months shaving tenths off their favorite circuits.

There are also a series of collision fixes that keep karts from slipping through walls, getting stuck on scenery or being unfairly squashed by hazards. When you are flying along a route and get stomped from above by a big vehicle or land awkwardly near a billboard, the game now does a better job of nudging you back to sensible ground. In a racer where dozens of players share space during Knockout Tour checkpoints, reliable physics matter. Nothing kills the mood faster than losing a run because a green shell got trapped in the road or a perfectly lined up shortcut suddenly launches you off the course. By addressing many of these edge cases at once, version 1.4.0 gives Mario Kart World a more polished feel across the entire map.

Bullet Bill, Boos and item behavior fixes

Items sit at the heart of Mario Kart, and version 1.4.0 spends a lot of energy making sure they behave properly. Bullet Bill in particular gets special treatment, with pathing fixes across several tracks. The update corrects problems where Bullet Bill could send you off the course on tricky curves, get stuck on terrain or even vanish completely after use. That includes specific locations like Sky-High Sundae, Boo Cinema, DK Pass, Toad’s Factory and routes that weave through Crown City, Dandelion Depths and Cheep Cheep Falls. For players, this means that hitting the item now feels like a reliable lifeline rather than a gamble that might throw you straight into a pit.

Boos and other items get attention too. The update prevents you from stacking a second Boo while one is already active, solving an awkward case where item timing could feel broken when holding two at once. Reappearing coins and Dash Food on water now return more quickly after someone collects them, which helps maintain a healthy flow of resources during busy online races. Taken together with Custom Items, these changes shift item play from frustrating randomness to a more controlled chaos where players understand the rules and can plan around them. It still feels wild, as any good Mario Kart match should, but version 1.4.0 cuts down on the moments where you yell at your screen because an item broke the rules of its own behavior.

Online stability and Knockout Tour improvements

Online stability is another big focus in this patch. The notes include several fixes for situations where friends lists would not properly update, group IDs in room info screens could trigger communication errors, or spectated racers appeared to drive off course repeatedly during Knockout Tour. These kinds of bugs might not be glamorous to fix, but they heavily affect how confident you feel when joining long sessions, especially in a mode like Knockout Tour that already demands a lot of time and attention. When you commit to a world spanning race with 24 players, you want to trust that the netcode and spectator view will not crumble halfway through.

The patch also tackles rare hang ups in Free Roam online, such as players getting stuck trying to enter UFOs at the same time or pipes behaving strangely when someone joins a session during the transition. Those might sound like edge cases, yet in a social racer where people love to test the limits of every toy in the sandbox, they come up surprisingly often. By tuning Knockout Tour retire behavior, preventing unfair place drops when someone leaves and improving how characters and vehicles are restored when starting a new online session, version 1.4.0 helps Mario Kart World feel more like a continuous road trip with friends and less like a fragile connection you are scared to touch.

Why version 1.4.0 keeps Mario Kart World fresh in 2026

Taken as a whole, version 1.4.0 is the kind of update that quietly strengthens Mario Kart World for the long haul. It does not rely on one giant new mode to grab attention. Instead, it listens to what players have been saying since launch and responds with tools that help everyone shape their own fun. Custom Items let communities build house rules that can last for years. Smarter rooms and friend join options reduce friction for online squads. Track changes around Koopa Troopa Beach keep routes from going stale. Item logic corrections build trust in the fundamental race systems. All of this is arriving only a few months after release, suggesting that Nintendo sees Mario Kart World as a living racer that will keep growing on Switch 2.

Looking ahead to 2026, these foundations matter as much as any future cups or characters. A racer that feels fair, flexible and social is far more likely to hold players’ interest, especially when other big titles compete for attention during the holiday season. With this patch, Mario Kart World feels better prepared for that long race. It is easier to recommend the game to new Switch 2 owners who pick it up in a bundle or during sales, because you know that the rough edges from early months have been sanded down. For veterans, version 1.4.0 is the green light to dive back into Knockout Tour, retune item sets and rediscover favorite routes with fresh rules and smoother handling. It is less a reset and more a strong new gear that keeps the engine humming.

Conclusion

Mario Kart World version 1.4.0 may arrive without fireworks, but it quietly solves problems that have been nagging players since launch while unlocking new ways to play together. Custom Items turn every lobby into a playground of house rules, room and friend upgrades keep online gatherings intact, and course plus item fixes restore faith in the chaotic heart of the racer. Koopa Troopa Beach routes feel more intentional, Time Trials become more photo friendly, and long Knockout Tour runs no longer carry the same fear of strange disconnects or broken Bullet Bills. For anyone who already loved the idea of an open world Mario Kart on Switch 2 but bounced off some rough edges, this update is a strong reason to return, while active racers gain a sturdier, more expressive foundation for the months and years ahead.

FAQs
  • How do we enable Custom Items in Mario Kart World after the update
    • Head into the rules settings for VS Race, Balloon Battle, Coin Runners or a room in online or wireless play, then toggle the new Custom Items option. From there we can choose which items are allowed or disabled, save the setup and start races that follow those rules every time.
  • Which modes benefit the most from version 1.4.0 changes
    • VS Race and Battle modes gain huge flexibility from Custom Items, while Knockout Tour and online rooms benefit from better friend join options and stability fixes. Time Trials players also see improvements thanks to easier access to Photo Mode and cleaner physics around walls and obstacles.
  • What exactly changed on Koopa Troopa Beach routes
    • Races that travel to or from Koopa Troopa Beach now share a consistent rule where finishing segments on the beach itself involve two laps before the checkered flag. This change affects several linked routes, turning the sandy stretch into a more deliberate final challenge instead of a quick transition zone.
  • Did version 1.4.0 fix Bullet Bill issues in Mario Kart World
    • Yes, the patch adjusts how Bullet Bill travels across multiple tracks, reducing cases where it could fly off course, get stuck on obstacles or fail to appear after use. This makes the item feel more trustworthy, especially during intense online races and long Knockout Tour runs.
  • Is the 1.4.0 update for Mario Kart World free on Nintendo Switch 2
    • Yes, the update is free. As long as the Nintendo Switch 2 system is connected to the internet, we can download and install version 1.4.0 from the software update option or simply by launching the game and following the prompt when the new patch is detected.
Sources
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