Mario Kart Tour comes in for the finish and is set to shut down later this year
Overview & Key Takeaways
Unfortunately, it seems that Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is not the only big-name mobile game that's ending service. Nintendo's Mario Kart Tour is also set to shutter, with servers closing on September 30th. While not exactly good news, it's a mobile spinoff that's been going for a surprisingly long time. Mario Kart Tour released way back in 2019 and has been going relatively strong since then. It essentially reproduces the usual Mario Kart experience, just for mobile, and back in 2022, they went as far as to remove gacha mechanics in an attempt to keep that same competitive spirit. ... [MORE]
- Mario Kart Tour is set to be shut down later this year
- Servers will close at the end of September. Check the app for details on passes
- Mario Kart Tour sought to recreate the experience of the hit racer on mobile
Unfortunately, it seems that Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is not the only big-name mobile game that's ending service. Nintendo's Mario Kart Tour is also set to shutter, with servers closing on September 30th. While not exactly good news, it's a mobile spinoff that's been going for a surprisingly long time.
Mario Kart Tour released way back in 2019 and has been going relatively strong since then. It essentially reproduces the usual Mario Kart experience, just for mobile, and back in 2022, they went as far as to remove gacha mechanics in an attempt to keep that same competitive spirit.
Blue Shell incoming
Sadly, even those changes don't seem to have prevented Mario Kart Tour's eventual shutdown. As mentioned above, servers will close on September 30th and, presumably, in-game purchases will likely have stopped by now. You can check the app itself if you're a player, which will provide further info on how Ruby and Gold passes will be handled.
Personally, I think that Nintendo might be in a similar boat to Square Enix. Recreating Mario Kart on mobile should have been a winner, but there are dozens of competitors, and many dedicated Nintendo fans will already have invested in one of their consoles.
Meanwhile, perennial rival Sega have acquired none other than Rovio, and have Sonic Rumble Party as well as other spinoffs under its belt. Games like this are aimed primarily at a mobile audience first, rather than offering a console-like experience. And that specific point is where Nintendo may have ended up tripping itself up.
Either way, that doesn't bite into the already hefty amount of great games coming out on mobile this year. Not sure where to start in giving some of them a go? Just take a look at our list of the best mobile games of 2026 for some of our picks!
