Nintendo Denies AI Art In New Mario Kart World Game

Nintendo has firmly denied rumors suggesting the use of generative AI for visuals in its upcoming Switch 2 launch title, Super Mario Kart World.

"AI generated images were not used in the development of Mario Kart World," a Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer earlier this week.

These rumors began circulating after Mario Kart fans on social media highlighted some rather unusual imagery in the upcoming game. This followed a recent official livestream showcasing the title.

Among the visuals questioned was a billboard displaying a car with surreal proportions, such as massively elongated windows and a tiny chassis, seemingly defying physics. While Mario Kart is not known for strict realism, some YouTubers suggested generative AI might have been used to create this particular image.

(Credit: Nintendo)

Generative AI can produce photorealistic images, but it is also known for creating visuals with bizarre proportions, such as rendering humans with six fingers.

Whether or not Nintendo used AI generated artwork, the concept of major AAA games incorporating AI assets is not unrealistic for 2025. Activision recently acknowledged using generative AI for visual assets in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Warzone. This admission came after players noticed a six fingered zombie Santa on a loading screen, leading to mixed reactions from the gaming community. Furthermore, generative AI is already employed for voiceover work in significant titles, such as the Polish language version of Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, and even for writing dialogue in many games.

However, the use of generative AI in upcoming Nintendo titles seems unlikely in the near future. During a 2024 Q&A session for investors, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa dismissed the idea of the company employing this technology for future games, primarily due to concerns over potential intellectual property issues.

Super Mario Kart World is slated for release on June 5 2025, as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2. The intense scrutiny from gamers over details in Mario Kart World might be partly due to its projected retail price of 80 dollars. This price point is among the highest ever for a newly released video game, excluding special editions or subscription based services.