Nintendo is shutting down Mario Kart Tour, ending service on iOS and Android after nearly seven years. This marks another title removed from Nintendo’s shrinking roster of active mobile games.
The game launched on September 25, 2019 and became Nintendo’s biggest mobile debut ever, surpassing 90 million downloads in its first week according to Sensor Tower. That number makes the shutdown all the more striking: this was not a niche experiment, it was a genuine hit that Nintendo decided was no longer worth running.
Nintendo shut down Dr. Mario World after two years, announced in late 2023 that it would shut down Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (releasing a paid offline “Complete” version as a legacy option), and previously shut down Dragalia Lost after four years. Mario Kart Tour survived longer than any of them, but the outcome is the same.
Bloomberg reported some time ago that Nintendo was “retreating” from its broader mobile gaming ambitions, focusing only on apps already released rather than developing new ones. The Mario Kart Tour shutdown confirms that phase is wrapping up too. There is no mobile strategy left to speak of, only a cleanup operation.
Mario Kart World, the Switch 2 kart racer, gives Nintendo a current-generation franchise entry with an open-world structure, up to 24 online racers, and courses spanning cities, volcanoes, and open water. Keeping a freemium mobile version of essentially the same franchise running alongside that, on separate servers with a separate content calendar, is an expensive proposition with diminishing returns. It also received a landscape racing mode and multiplayer additions over the years, but those updates had clearly been tapering off.
Mario Kart Tour ran a freemium model built on virtual currency and a Gold Pass subscription at $4.99 per month, which cost the same as an Apple Arcade subscription and was a tough sell even at launch. Anyone with unspent currency or an active Gold Pass should watch for Nintendo’s official phase-out schedule, which typically runs in two stages: in-app purchase halt first, then final server closure.
Nintendo has not confirmed an offline mode for Mario Kart Tour, and that is a meaningful omission. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp got a paid offline “Complete” release, giving players something to keep after the servers went dark. Mario Kart Tour’s always-online requirement, baked in from day one, means players may simply lose access to everything when the service ends.
As part of this announcement, Nintendo has confirmed that it is halting the sale of rubies starting today, 11:00 p.m. Pacific on July 7, 2026. Existing rubies can be used in the Spotlight Shop, Mii Racing Suit Shop, and Coin Rush until service ends. There is no mention of any refunds for users.
For users who have a Gold Pass subscription, below is how Nintendo will handle them:
1. Players whose Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass subscriptions extend past the start of maintenance at 11:00 p.m. PT on July 7, 2026:
You can continue to enjoy Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass benefits, minus continuous-subscription benefits, until 10:59 p.m. PT on September 29, 2026, for free.
Note: This includes players in a free-trial period.2. Players without a Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass subscription at the start of maintenance at 11:00 p.m. PT on July 7, 2026:
Beginning with the start of the Vacation Tour at 11:00 p.m. PT on August 4, 2026, until 10:59 p.m. PT on September 29, 2026, you can enjoy Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass benefits, minus continuous-subscription benefits, for free.
