Mario Kart Tour is a decent little mobile game that first released in 2019. To monetize, it used a stamina system and gacha elements. Now, those gacha elements are being removed.
According to a tweet from the official Twitter account, the late September element will add some things, while removing others.
With the late September update, MKT will add a new Battle Mode and players can no longer spend their premium currency on in-race advantages, but that is probably not the biggest news here.
The biggest change will be the removal of its gacha element in exchange for a dedicated Spotlight Shop.
This Spotlight Shop will give players the option to exchange their premium currency (rubies) for drivers, karts, and gliders. No more hoping for a great pull, simply load up with rubies and buy the thing you want directly.
It’s a huge change for the game. And some are wondering what it means for the future of Nintendo’s mobile games. Of course, Fire Emblem Heroes is still printing money for Nintendo, and it uses a gacha system.
But, on the flip side, Nintendo is also shutting down Dragalia Lost after multiple years of service. It also used a gacha system.
Could this drastic change to Mario Kart Tour spell the end of the game, and this is simply the wind-down period? Or, is it this Nintendo slowly but surely transitioning away from including gacha elements in its mobile games?
Either is a possibility. Plenty of countries are starting to take a hard look at loot boxes and other gacha elements found in video games. Nintendo may be trying to get ahead of the curve by removing these systems from its games.
Time will tell, but regardless, if Mario Kart Tour pushed you away before, it might be time to revisit the mobile game.
