Update: Nintendo has begun rolling out Mario Kart Tour's multiplayer globally with most territories now having access to the new mode. 

Any returning players can link to their My Nintendo Account to reclaim any previous data and pick up exactly where they left off.

The feature has been hugely sought after since the game's launch, so it will be interesting to see how many people jump back in as a result.

Original Story: Nintendo has revealed that Mario Kart Tour's multiplayer mode will be made available to all players from March 8th, 2020.

Players can compete against seven other racers, whether they're in-game friends, nearby, or positioned around the globe.

The multiplayer mode will become accessible globally from 8pm PT on March 8th (3am GMT on March 9th).

Bot racers

Initially, the feature was launched in beta back in December for Gold Pass subscribers only, which led to some backlash for the decision to lock out users through a paywall for what many consider a core component of the series.

To add another twist, anyone that did participate in online multiplayer races could be forgiven for believing they were competing against other people around the world due to the usernames hovering above each kart. However, Nintendo later confirmed that all of these competitors were bots.

Mario Kart Tour recently finished in first as it claimed Racing Game of the Year at the DICE Awards 2020.

Data has shown that installs for Mario Kart Tour have begun to slump, but the revenue the game is making from its existing base of players offers reason for optimism.