Nintendo is planning to let you play as Zelda’s Link and Cat Peach in Mario Kart 8 in an add-on pack it’s releasing later this month, but some gamers are worried that the content won’t work online.
Earlier today, a report surfaced that claimed the content in the Mario Kart 8 DLC won’t work if anyone in the online lobby doesn’t have it. That’s isn’t exactly the case. We asked Nintendo for the details, and here’s exactly how it works.
When you start an online match of Mario Kart 8, you get an option to either go play with the original 32 courses or with all 40 courses (the original 32 plus the eight DLC tracks). Likewise, when you create a tournament, you can select 32 or 40 courses, but you can also select to only play the DLC levels.
Of course, if you make a 40 course tournament, everyone that wants to join will need the DLC.
So don’t worry, you’ll never get kicked out of a match because someone else doesn’t have the DLC.
Additionally, you can use the DLC characters, like Tanooki Mario, in the 32-course mode. Even if people don’t have that content, they’ll still see you rocking the freshest racers.
The first Mario Kart 8 DLC pack is available for presale now for $8, and it debuts Nov. 13. It comes with an F-Zero-inspired kart, Link, Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, and eight new courses. The second DLC pack, also $8, includes Animal Crossing’s Villager and Isabelle as well as the skeleton-like Dry Bowser. It debuts in May.
If you preorder the two packs at the same time, it’s $12 for both.