Disney meets Mario Kart in Disney Speedstorm coming Summer 2022
It’s not quite Kingdom Karts but we’ll take it
A free-to-play Disney and Pixar themed racer is coming to Nintendo Switch in summer 2022.
Announced during the February Nintendo Direct, Disney Speedstorm is a free to play Disney/Pixar themed racing game which sees all of your favourite characters - including Mulan, Sulley, Mickey Mouse, and more - tearing up the race track, Mario Kart style.
From the looks of the trailer, players will be able to race on a number of themed race tracks based on all the classic Disney films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Monsters Inc., and more. Think of it like Kingdom Hearts but on wheels.
It won't just be a case of interchangeable characters and karts, however. Disney Speedstorm's characters all have unique strengths shaped by their special abilities. Mickey, for example, gains a significant speedboost, while Monster's Inc's Sully can blast enemies off the road with a monstrous roar, and Mulan can lob fireworks at enemies in front of her. Each racer will also be able to utilise an ultimate move to really change the course of a race.
Disney Speedstorm will be free-to-play, with new seasons of content to be "added regularly," bringing more characters, circuits, karts, and more. If you're palying with friends, splitscreen and online multiplayer will feature alongside cross-play capabilities.
If Mario Kart is more your jam, then today's direct didn't leave you completely high and dry, although it will have disappointed those really holding out for Mario Kart 9. Instead of a brand-new game, Mario Kart 8 is getting 48 new circuits (doubling the current total), set to release in six packs of eight between now and the end of 2023.
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After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.