Nintendo has officially announced the permanent shutdown of Mario Kart Tour, the mobile game originally launched in 2019. The service will end on September 29, 2026, and the company has stated it will not release any offline version. This marks the complete end for one of Nintendo's most downloaded titles, which had already stopped receiving content updates in 2023.
Nintendo confirms the closure through official channels
In a social media post and support pages, Nintendo confirmed that Mario Kart Tour will cease to function on the evening of September 29, 2026. This is not merely the end of content updates or online multiplayer: the app will become completely inaccessible. Players will no longer be able to launch the game, and all saved data will be lost. The company emphasized that there are no plans for an offline version, making this the definitive end.
An anticipated end after years of decline
Mario Kart Tour launched in 2019 to great success, quickly becoming Nintendo's flagship mobile game. However, content support was already discontinued in 2023, signaling the beginning of the end. Since then, the game continued with recurring events but no new tracks or characters. The server shutdown aligns with Nintendo's strategy to reduce its mobile gaming footprint, as previously seen with the closure of titles like Dr. Mario World.
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What happens to subscriptions and purchases
Nintendo specified that Gold Pass subscribers will no longer be charged starting in August 2026. Additionally, from August 4, all players will receive Gold Pass benefits for free until the shutdown. Rubies, the premium currency, can no longer be purchased as of this week (July 2026). Players with remaining rubies can spend them until September 29. No refunds are planned for in-app purchases.
A broader trend of digital service shutdowns
The closure of Mario Kart Tour is part of a larger pattern of platform and service discontinuations by major companies. For instance, Google recently announced the end of Google Earth Pro for desktop, scheduled for June 25, 2027, sparking user backlash over the loss of advanced features. In that case too, the company confirmed no offline version will be available. Read more about it in the article on Google Earth Pro shutdown.
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For those interested in the history of Mario Kart, the franchise debuted in 1992 on the Super Nintendo and has sold over 150 million copies worldwide. The mobile version, while popular, never achieved the financial success Nintendo hoped for. Analysts believe the decision reflects the company's focus on hardware and premium titles.
Authoritative external sources such as Wikipedia provide further technical details and timeline of the game.
Source: https://9to5google.com/2026/07/08/mario-kart-tour-shutting-down
