Mario Kart Tour Ends in September: Nintendo Shuts Down the Mobile Racer

Nintendo is ending support for its long-running mobile racer Mario Kart Tour, shutting the iPhone and Android game down this September after roughly seven years online.

A new notice shared on social media says the app will stop functioning on September 29 at 11pm Pacific time. The game first launched in September 2019, and for a while it remained one of the few Nintendo titles still actively running on smartphones.

In a blog post explaining the decision, Nintendo thanked players for sticking with the title since it began service. “We sincerely thank the many players who have loved and supported the game since service began so long ago,” the company wrote. “Thank you for playing Mario Kart Tour.”

What’s changing before the servers go dark

While Nintendo closing smartphone games isn’t unusual anymore, Mario Kart Tour managed to last longer than most mobile experiments. The project also fed into content work for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe community, including tracks that later appeared through the Switch version’s expansion pass. At various points in its life, the mobile racer was also reported to be highly profitable.

That financial momentum was complicated at launch by controversy around its monetization. The game used gacha-style mechanics to unlock new karts and characters. After a wave of backlash, Nintendo reworked the system in 2022, moving to a more conventional item shop. It also introduced a subscription option alongside the updated approach.

As the shutdown date approaches, in-game currency sales are being paused, and automatic renewals for the game’s Gold Pass subscription will also be discontinued. Nintendo says that for the rest of the game’s run, all players will have access to benefits on par with what Gold Pass subscribers would normally receive.

One major difference from some other Nintendo mobile closures: Nintendo is not offering an offline version of Mario Kart Tour after the servers shut down. A short FAQ entry notes that “an offline version is not scheduled for release.” The practical result is that several tracks unique to the mobile release will become unplayable once the online infrastructure goes offline.

It’s possible the lack of an offline mode ties into Nintendo’s current strategy. Mario Kart World has been framed as an important factor for driving interest in the next Switch generation, meaning Nintendo would prefer players move toward purchasing new hardware rather than preserving the mobile experience. Meanwhile, a brand-new Animal Crossing release still appears to be some time away.

Where Nintendo’s mobile lineup stands now

With Mario Kart Tour ending, Nintendo’s smartphone catalog will shrink again. Fire Emblem Heroes and Shadows are still live, and Super Mario Run remains available. Another continuing presence is Pikmin Bloom, which is largely supported through the involvement of Pokémon Go developer Niantic.

Even with the shutdown, Nintendo isn’t completely stepping back from mobile. Earlier this year, it released Pictonico!, an app that lets players turn photos from their camera roll into WarioWare-style minigames.