A new update for Mario Kart World has dramatically changed how players access traditional racing online. Nintendo has changed the way the “random” course selection option works, which was previously the only sure way for players to jump into classic three-lap races when playing with random opponents online.
Before this update, picking “random” during course selection pretty much always meant you’d get classic circuit races, letting you skip over the new intermission routes that connect tracks in Mario Kart World. This little quirk had become a favorite shortcut for folks who just wanted that old-school Mario Kart feel.
Now, choosing “random” throws both traditional 3-lap circuits and the bigger, less technical intermission routes into the mix. For people who mainly love the tight, skill-based action of classic circuits, this update takes away their go-to way of getting that gameplay in random online matches.
Mario Kart World brought in these connected tracks as its headline new feature, with players racing along “intermission” routes in between the usual circuits. These wider roads were built for those huge 24-player lobbies and are a key part of the knockout and tour modes. While new and different, a lot of competitive players still want the technical challenge that comes with the standard circuits.
Some players aren’t happy about this change. “When I’m in race mode, I just want to play laps,” one fan said, while someone else pointed out, “Nintendo knows what their players like and chose to patch it out of the game.”
Other players see both sides, admitting that the old behavior for the random option didn’t really match how it works in the rest of the game. “It was always kinda weird that random skipped intermission tracks,” one player said, but they also suggested that Nintendo should “make it so that you always have at least one intermission and one regular race to choose from.”
The update fits with what looks like Nintendo’s plan to get players into the new intermission stuff, which is a big part of this Mario Kart. Still, Nintendo hasn’t said anything about making a dedicated online playlist or mode that’s just for 3-lap races, so fans of classic Mario Kart racing don’t have a real option right now.
