Sakurai confirms Kirby Air Riders will have no DLC, all content to be available upon launch
In a major announcement from today’s “Kirby Air Riders Direct 2,” game director Masahiro Sakurai confirmed that the highly anticipated racing game will not have any paid downloadable content (DLC).
During the 60-minute deep-dive presentation, Sakurai explained his development philosophy for the title, stating: “We are planning on going all-out from the start with this title.”
He further elaborated that the team has no plans to release DLC and that they are not intending to turn it into a long-running series, pouring all of their efforts into this single, complete game.
This confirmation was just one part of a massive presentation that unveiled a host of new and returning features for the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.
Here are the other key announcements that were revealed:
- New amiibo: Three new amiibo sets were unveiled: “Meta Knight & Devil Star,” “King Dedede & Tank Star,” and “Chef Kawasaki & Hop Star.” All five of the game’s amiibo sets will feature magnetic, swappable riders and machines that are recognized in-game.
- New “Road Trip” Mode: A new, story-driven single-player mode was revealed. It will see players hit the road and complete a series of challenges from Air Ride, City Trial, and Top Ride.
- “Top Ride” Returns: The classic, top-down racing mode from the 2003 GameCube original is officially back and will be playable with up to eight players online.
- Motion Sickness Options: A significant portion of the broadcast was dedicated to accessibility, with Sakurai revealing extensive motion sickness countermeasures. The options menu will feature a wide range of “anti-sickness” settings, including adjustable camera FOV, rotation speed, and toggles for camera shake.
- “Global Test Ride” Demo: A special, online demo event will be held for Nintendo Switch Online members. The demo will be active during specific windows on November 8th-9th and November 15th-16th.
- New “Paddock” Online Hub: A new online lobby system was shown, which allows players to move around as their rider, set up matches, and interact with friends.
- Other New Features: The presentation also confirmed the return of all nine original Air Ride courses, a new “Swap Relay” race type, a new “Transform Star” machine, and the return of the fan-favorite “Checklist” challenge grid.
Kirby Air Riders is scheduled to be released on Thursday, the 20th of November, 2025, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2.
The standard digital edition is priced at ¥7,980 (approx. $54 USD / £43 GBP), and the physical package version is priced at ¥8,980 (approx. $61 USD / £49 GBP).
The latest Kirby Air Riders Nintendo Direct can now be viewed in full on YouTube:
This post may contain affiliate links, and Essential Japan may earn a commission if you purchase through them.
