Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is getting 5 new characters – but who will make the roster?

Birdo isn't the only new racer coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

(Credit: Nintendo)

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is easily one of the best Nintendo Switch games ever made, and even though it’s approaching its sixth year on sale, new content continues to arrive in the form of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass.

The Booster Course Pass has already added 32 new tracks to the game, but now new characters are also coming, beginning with Birdo, and five more are on the way.

Five empty character slots can be found on the character select screen, and there are still two more waves of DLC to come which Nintendo said will feature “more returning courses and characters from across the Mario Kart series.”

➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Mario Kart 8 update

• 🆕 New characters are coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

• 🥚 Birdo recently joined the roster, and more classic racers are on the way

• 🏎️ You’ll need to have the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass to get them

• 💰 The Booster Course Pass can be bought separately or is free for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers

Judging from Nintendo’s statement, we can hazard a guess at which characters will join Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s roster in the near future. Characters who have starred in previous games in the series but aren’t in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe include Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong Jr, Funky Kong, Petey Piranha, Wiggler, Honey Queen, Koopa Paratroopa, Pauline and R.O.B.

We won’t see all of these racers return – remember only five slots are available – but I’d be surprised if we didn’t see Diddy Kong and Pauline make the cut. Both characters make regular appearances in other Nintendo titles, with both characters starring in Mario Strikers: Battle League. Wiggler could be a shout, too, as the cheery centipede teed off in Mario Golf: Super Rush.

Wave 4 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Pass adds eight new tracks: Amsterdam Drift from Tour, Riverside Park, DK Summit, Yoshi’s Island, Bangkok Rush, Mario Circuit, Waluigi Stadium and Singapore Speedway.

It’s available as a separate purchase for $24.99, though you’ll need Nintendo Switch Online membership if you want to race online. Alternatively, you can get the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass for free with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, which costs $49.99. That also gives you access to GoldenEye 007 remastered on the N64 and various other perks.