Mario Kart World's latest update met with backlash over online course selection changes
Nintendo has released a new update for Mario Kart World that makes changes to how courses are selected in its online mode, and players are not happy with the patch.
The details:
On Wednesday, Nintendo released the Mario Kart World version 1.1.2 update, which addresses a few course-related issues in Boo Cinema and Dino Dino Jungle, as well as incorrect rate fluctuations during online play. However, the update notes also state that Nintendo has "adjusted courses selected in "Random" when selecting the next course in a wireless 'VS Race,'" leaving fans perplexed as to what changes have been implemented.
According to reputable dataminer OatmealDome, the change is a targeted nerf that affects the "Random" track selection option, which many players would use to avoid playing the game's "Intermission Tracks" and instead be guaranteed a traditional three-lap race.
Intermission tracks are a new addition to the series with the introduction of an open-world structure, and they feature players racing on a longer, one-lap track that travels across a specific area of the world to different three-lap courses.
Unsurprisingly, the change has sparked criticism from players, who have made it clear that the increase in votes for "Random" is a call for Nintendo to introduce a more traditional race mode separate from the game's open world. "Nintendo has basically stepped in and said, 'No, you're supposed to play this way,'" wrote GreenMamba on ResetEra. "They saw players clamoring for a more traditional online mode and did... the exact opposite of what they wanted."
Fans have since stated that the update has made it more difficult to play certain courses, particularly the much rarer Rainbow Road, which could only be found via the Random track option. It has also been pointed out that the new Knockout Tour mode is based solely on Intermission tracks, making it an even more confusing change to impose on players.
