Is Diddy Kong in Mario Kart World?

Mario Kart World will be released on June 5, 2025, alongside the Nintendo Switch 2, and the gaming community can expect this to be the biggest and most expansive roster of playable characters. Fan favorites like Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and many more are confirmed to return; however, some characters like Diddy Kong are nowhere to be seen.

Nintendo didn't confirm or deny whether Donkey Kong's nephew will be a playable racer or if he will even appear in the game. Perhaps the developers have added one too many playable characters, or they could be saving Diddy for a future DLC.

Note: Aspects of this article are speculative and reflect the writer's subjective views.

Diddy Kong isn't a playable racer in Mario Kart World

Diddy Kong's absence is a missed opportunity (Image via Nintendo)

One of the best parts about the Mario Kart games is the abundance of playable racers. Each character has unique traits, and the gaming community would love to have the chance to use their favorite characters from the Mario franchise and race against their friends to the finish line. More characters mean more players can participate in a race, which is one of the highlights of this new iteration.

Also read: 3 exciting improvements Donkey Kong Bananza will feature over the older DK titles

Unfortunately, not everyone will be present despite it being the biggest installment in the Mario Kart franchise. Diddy Kong is Donkey Kong's nephew, a former archnemesis of Mario, and the gaming community fell in love with Diddy's small stature and wholesome personality.

While a single race can accommodate 24 players, which is double that of the previous installment, it means you can see a few characters on the track. The total number of playable characters at launch has yet to be confirmed, but surely enough, there is room for more in the future.

Diddy Kong could join the roster in a future DLC

It is common for new characters to join the roster in this franchise. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a handful of playable racers were made available, and Diddy Kong was one of them. Perhaps Nintendo is repeating the same strategy for this new installment, and it will only be a matter of time before the developers slowly roll out new characters in the following months.

Better late than never (Image via Nintendo)

Mario and Donkey Kong are two high-profile Nintendo franchises, and it would be a shame to exclude some of their supporting characters from one of the biggest franchises. Mario Kart World is a Nintendo Switch 2 title, and all eyes are on this game, hoping it will be as good as its predecessor, if not better.

Also read: Gamers slam Nintendo over pricey games after Switch 2 Direct: "Maybe Game Pass isn't a bad deal at all"

Diddy Kong isn't shown in any promotional material, and this confirms his absence, at launch at least. Perhaps he will be added to the roster as part of a DLC, similarly to how he was added in the previous installment.

Mario Kart World will be released on June 5, 2025, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. For more related articles, check these out:

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