Launched in 2003 on GameCube, Kirby Air Ride had left a memory as vivid as it was singular. Twenty-two years later, Masahiro Sakurai sets the table again with Kirby Air Ridersscheduled for November 20, 2025 exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. To set the stage, a new special Nintendo Direct is scheduled for October 23 at 3 p.m. (French time)and will last 60 minutes.
An exceptional format, which even exceeds the 45 minutes of the previous Direct dedicated to the game last August. Enough to hope for an avalanche of announcements: new modes, playable characters, mechanics, online compatibility and post-launch content.
Sakurai accepts the comparison with Mario Kart… to better distance himself from it
During the first Direct, Masahiro Sakurai surprised by himself evoking the resemblance between Kirby Air Riders and Mario Kart :
“You might be wondering if it’s a bit like Mario Kart… Well, it’s a bit like Mario Kart. I even talked about it when I was asked to develop the game. I asked them if they still wanted to do it.”
But the historic creator of Smash Bros especially insisted on one major nuance: “The appeal of the game isn’t really in the racing!”
In other words, Kirby Air Riders would be more than a speed game. We are talking here about dynamic circuitsof multiplayer competitionbut also fightof special powersand perhaps a hybrid experiencebetween party game, duel arena and objective race.
What we expect from the Live on October 23
Among the elements already confirmed or strongly anticipated for the 60 minutes presentation:
- A in-depth gameplay with all the new Switch 2 features (graphics, fluidity, gyro functions, etc.)
- A full list of playable characters : Kirby of course, but also Waddle Dee, King Dedede, Metaknight, Gooey, Chef Kawasaki…
- The presentation of several circuitsall with specific traits (obstacles, interactions, transformations).
- Multiplayer modes locally and onlineundoubtedly with competitive and cooperative variants.
- A last minute surpriseor even a guest character from another universe (like in Smash Bros?)
We can also expect an explanation of the game’s positioning in the Switch 2 catalog, and a tease of a single player mode or narrative, still unknown to this day.
A return to the forefront for Kirby… and Sakurai
This new project also marks a Sakurai’s comeback as the central creator, after the end of the saga Super Smash Bros Ultimate. He imposes his touch, his humor, but also his vision of accessible and deep multiplayer fun.
The Smash Bros-style Direct format, with Sakurai himself presenting each mechanic, is already an event in itself for fans. It would not be surprising if the presentation on October 23 exploded views on YouTube and X.