After years of enjoying the same tracks, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC is here - and it promises to breathe fresh life into one of the Nintendo Switch's must-buys

As announced by Nintendo earlier this year, 48 new tracks will be coming to Mario Kart before the end of 2023 in the form of the 'Booster Course Pass'.

As of 18 March, Wave 1 - the first of six DLC drops for the title - is available to download.

Below, we'll be providing what we know so far about the release dates for different waves, how you can get the DLC as part of Nintendo Switch Online and what tracks are actually included. 

When is Wave 1 available?

Though the release date for Wave 1 of the Booster Course Pass DLC technically was Friday, 18 March, it was actually available on Thursday in several regions. 

Either way, by the time you read this, the first wave will be on the Nintendo Store and you'll be ready to jump into the new tracks. 

How do you buy it? How much is it?

So, there are three ways to gain access to the Mario Kart DLC package. 

The first option is available to those with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, which costs $49.99 / £34.99 / €34.99 per year. These subscribers will be able to access all the waves as they're released, as well as some other, unrelated perks, such as Animal Crossing DLC, access to SEGA Genesis and Nintendo 64 games, and more. 

Of course, you don't have to have a membership to buy the new DLC, though. The Deluxe Booster Course Pass is available to buy separately, which will give you access to all six waves as they release. Note, as well, that you can't buy waves separately. 

To buy just the Deluxe Booster Course Pass, you can do so from the Switch's store for $24.99 / £22.49 / €24.99.

Or, lastly, for those who don't have the game itself yet, you can now buy it with the DLC included, as shown in the widget below.

What tracks are coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

Wave 1 of the Mario Kart DLC will include two new cups, which, of course, will feature four tracks each. 

Golden Dash Cup

  • Paris Promenade (Mario Kart Tour)
  • Toad Circuit (Nintendo 3DS)
  • Choco Mountain (Nintendo 64)
  • Coconut Mall (Wii)

Lucky Cat Cup

  • Tokyo Blur (Mario Kart Tour)
  • Shroom Ridge (Nintendo DS)
  • Sky Garden (Game Boy Advance)
  • Ninja Hideaway (Mario Kart Tour)

When is the rest of the DLC released?

As of now, there's no clear indication of when the remaining five waves will hit, aside from Nintendo's note that it'll be stretched out between now and the end of 2023.

Seeing as though there are roughly 21 months for Nintendo to space these out, we'd guess that we'll be receiving the additional 40 tracks in stages every four months. 

We'll update this section, of course, as more information comes available.