Highlights

  • The latest update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe brings an end to the controversial sandbagging strategy, requiring players to adapt and find new tactics.
  • Along with addressing sandbagging, the update introduces new DLC courses, four playable characters, and various improvements to gameplay.
  • This update reflects Nintendo's commitment to fairness and competitiveness in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe community, encouraging players to explore new strategies and setups.

A recent update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has put an end to the controversial strategy known as "sandbagging," a tactic that has been a part of online racing since the game's launch in 2014. Nintendo has recently launched update 3.0.0 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and among other changes, some players may no longer be able to employ this particular strategy.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is widely known as one of the best racing games on the Nintendo Switch, in the game's community, the term "sandbagging" is used to describe the practice of intentionally holding back or playing poorly to gain advantages, such as obtaining power-ups from Item Boxes and securing better race positions later. This controversial practice has been a topic of debate within the community for quite some time. It appears that players who were accustomed to this strategy will now need to adapt and find new tactics.

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The recently released update 3.0.0 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has brought significant changes. As demonstrated in a video shared by Twitter user Bear, Nintendo has tackled the sandbagging strategy by implementing measures that prevent players from acquiring powerful items when they come to a complete stop, drive in reverse, or repeatedly collect items from the same location during a race. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the best-selling games on the Switch, so this change aims to level the playing field among the considerable number of struggling and skilled players in the game.

The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe update was highly anticipated, as it also introduced Booster Course Pass Wave 6 DLC, featuring eight new courses and four playable characters. In addition to addressing sandbagging, the update brought other notable improvements, such as eliminating the need for Room IDs in friend-code exchanges, more invincibility frames, and enhancing the item box respawn system.

This update highlights Nintendo's commitment to maintaining fairness and competitiveness within the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe community. It resolves the sandbagging debate while introducing various quality-of-life enhancements for players. Rather than relying on a strategy that some consider "cheating," players are encouraged to explore some of the fastest setups available in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

As with any game update, opinions on these changes are likely to vary. Some players may celebrate the end of sandbagging and appreciate the overall balance improvements, while others may lament the loss of this tactical element. Nevertheless, it serves as a reminder that the gaming industry continually adapts to meet the evolving needs and expectations of its player base.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Update 3.0.0 Patch Notes

Support for DLC

  • Added paid DLC: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, Wave 6 (two cups, eight courses, four characters, 17 Mii racing suits).

General

  • Added “Music” button to the top menu.
    • This is a feature where you can listen to the background music that plays during the game, as you like.
    • Even players who don’t own the Booster Course Pass can listen to the background music of the DLC courses.

  • Added feature where other players who aren’t friends can join in a Room.
    • After creating a room, press the + Button or – Button to display the Room ID on the Room screen, and tell your fellow racers the Room ID.
    • The other racers can join by entering the Room ID in “Search by Room ID.”

  • Made it so that you can create a Room even if you have 0 friends registered.
  • Added staff credits for the Booster Couse Pass.
  • Increased the invincibility time of a portion of characters and vehicle customizations.
  • Made it so that you can’t acquire strong items when taking an Item Box by stopping or driving in reverse, or taking an Item Box that is in same location multiple times during a race.
  • Shortened the time between when an Item Box is acquired by someone until it is restored.
  • Lowered the appearance rate of Mirror and 200cc in “Worldwide” and “Regional.”
  • Made it so you can acquire the “Varia Suit” when using a Metroid series amiibo.
  • Made it so you can acquire the “Hylian Suit” when using a Legend of Zelda series amiibo.
  • Made it so you can acquire the “Kirby Suit” when using a Kirby series amiibo.
  • Made it so you can acquire the “Daisy Suit” when using a Daisy amiibo.

Fixed Issues

  • Fixed an issue where no Bob-omb car blows up in Wii Moonview Highway, but a Bob-omb car blows up for someone you are playing with online.
  • Fixed an issue where, when racing against a Ghost in Time Trials on Yoshi's Island, the red road would not appear even though the Ghost touched the Winged Cloud.