[Update 9:00 PM UTC Oct 17] Updated to add the Grand Prix track changes made in the Mid-Season patch on Oct. 11.

[Update 05:57 AM UTC Oct 11] Some parts under [Settings] have been edited for clarification.

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Table of Contents

• New Content
  • Track Updates
  • Back in the Mode Lab: Flag Mode
• Changes and Improvements
  • Time Trials
  • Settings
  • Balloons
  • Tracks
  • Grand Prix
  • Joy's Surprise Tests
  • License Mode
  • New Awards
  • Other Changes

New Content

Track Updates

Global Track Changes:

• License Restrictions have been removed from all tracks, allowing all racers to play on all tracks immediately.

4 New Tracks:

• Village: Rush Hour

  

  • Difficulty: ★★
  • Supported Game Modes: Item and Speed Mode
• Desert: Riddling Ruins

  

  • Difficulty: ★★★
  • Supported Game Modes: Item and Speed Mode
• Forest: Waterfall Slide

  

  • Difficulty: ★★★
  • Supported Game Modes: Item and Speed Mode
• WKC: Canada Circuit

  

  • Difficulty: ★★★★
  • Supported Game Modes: Speed Mode

Back in the Mode Lab: Flag Mode

• Flag Mode is a returning Squad-only race where two teams of four will race around the track, collecting flags and returning them to their flag zones to score points.
• Flag Mode in Mode Lab Duration:
  • PDT/PST (UTC -7/-8): Wednesday, October 11, 2023 (End of Maintenance) - Wednesday, November 15, 2023 4:00 PM PST
  • CEST/CET (UTC +2/+1): Thursday, October 12, 2023 (End of Maintenance) - Thursday, November 16, 2023 1:00 AM CET
  • JST (UTC +9): Thursday, October 12, 2023 (End of Maintenance) - Thursday, November 16, 2023 9:00 AM
  • AEDT (UTC +11): Thursday, October 12, 2023 (End of Maintenance) - Thursday, November 16, 2023 11:00 AM
• Don't let your guard down, though: Item Boxes appear in Flag Mode, just like in Item Mode, and can be used to knock flags loose from enemy racers!
• Win Conditions:
  • The first team to 20 points, or the team with the most points when time expires, wins!
  • If both teams are tied when time expires, an Overtime period is played where the first team to 10 points wins.
• Two Flags will appear on the track, Red and Blue. Secure your team's flag to get a bonus point!
• Racers who are hit with items while holding a flag, or who crash into the environment, will drop their flag and be unable to pick it up again for 2 seconds.
• Racers holding a flag will move slower than normal, making them more vulnerable to enemy racers. Keep the flag carrier protected, no matter the cost!
• Kart Resets cannot be used unless stuck or out of bounds.
• The towing effect cannot be applied.
• Auto-Steering, Track Guidelines, Drift Assist, Drift Zones, Item Hints, and Instant Boost Hints are not available in Flag Mode.
• In the final minute of the match, additional flags will appear on the track, so don't lose heart from an early deficit!
• Available Items:
  • Can be acquired while holding a flag:
    • Banana
    • Boost
    • EMP Wave
    • Magnet
    • Mine
    • Siren
    • Shield
  • Can be acquired while not holding a flag:
    • Angel Armor
    • Boost
    • EMP Wave
    • Lightning
    • Magnet
    • Mine
    • Missile
    • Siren
    • Shield
    • UFO
• Item Changes from Item Mode (Flag Mode Only):
  • UFO: Targets the opposing racer who has been holding the flag the longest and slows them down. Does not knock the flag loose.
  • Lightning: Lightning hits all Racers!
• Tracks available for Flag Mode:
  • Stadium Beach Island

    

    • Difficulty: ★
  • Hidden Meadow

    

    • Difficulty: ★★

Changes to Flag Mode

Flag Mode originally appeared in Season 3, and we've made a number of changes to make it even better!

• Taking a flag to the opposing team's flag zone will no longer score any points for either team, and instead return the flag to its original position.
• Flags will always appear in the same location at the start of a race, but their position will change with each subsequent flag that spawns.
• The interactions when colliding with a flag carrier has been changed:
  • A flag carrier colliding with an allied Racer will no longer drop the Flag.
  • A non-flag carrier colliding with an opposing flag carrier will move the flag into their possession, rather than causing the flag to drop.
  • When a flag carrier collides with another flag carrier, both Racers will drop their flags.
  • Added character animations for stealing a flag and having their flag stolen.
• Added feedback when obtaining a flag:
  • When a flag is obtained, a notification is displayed in the HUD.
  • The size and transparency of a held flag has been adjusted.
  • Adjusted the sound effect played when a flag is obtained.
• When a team reaches at least 15 points, an effect will be shown and the background music will change to warn both teams.
• The number of flags that spawn during Overtime has been decreased.
• The background music now changes when Overtime begins.
• A Flag Mode-exclusive loading screen tip has been added.
• The flag zone location guide on the HUD has been adjusted to match your team's color.

  Before	After

• The Water Bomb item has been removed from Flag Mode.
• If a flag drops into a flag zone, it will no longer score a point without being picked up by that zone's team.

Changes and Improvements

Time Trials

Save Location and Rewind

A new feature for Time Trials has been added to allow Racers to practice specific sections of a track.

• Save Location
  • Save the location, speed, and driving status of your Kart when the Save Location button is pressed.
  • The Save Location button can also be pressed while Rewinding, stopping the Rewind at that point.
  • Cannot Save Location while a video is playing, or while you're being affected by an item.
  • Up to 1 location can be saved.
  • Saved Locations will be removed in the following situations:
    • When rewinding to a point earlier than the Saved Location.
    • When saving a new location.
    • When the saved location is at least five minutes behind the current location.
• Rewind
  • When the Rewind button is pressed, the race will play backwards towards the start!
  • The Rewind will automatically pause upon reaching a Saved Location, allowing you to restart the race from that point.
  • Pressing the Rewind button again will continue to Rewind the race.
  • Cannot Rewind while a video is playing, or while you're being affected by an item.
  • Rewinds can be manually stopped at any point by pressing the Save Location button, which will set that point as the Saved Location and allow you to restart the race at that point.
  • Races can only be rewound up to 5 minutes.
  • The Shadow will be rewound at the same time as the Race is.
    • Note: Shadows from Time Trial races generated before the October 11 update may not display normally during Rewind.
  • Note: Certain visual and environmental effects will not be affected by the Rewind, such as lightning effects in the track's background.

Settings

(PC/Console) "Use Special Feature" key bindings have been added

• Six control bindings have been added, dedicated to be used in certain systems and content.
• These can be customized in the [Settings - Controls] menu.
• For the new "Save and Rewind Location" feature, the Special Feature buttons control the following features:
  • Use Special Feature 1: Rewind
  • Use Special Feature 2: Save Location
  • Use Special Feature 3: N/A
  • Use Special Feature 4: N/A
  • Use Special Feature 5: N/A
  • Use Special Feature 6: Rewind Speed
• Future additions will use these buttons in different manners, but for the moment only buttons 1, 2, and 6 are used.

(Mobile) Save Location & Rewind Buttons

• Buttons to control the Save Location and Rewind features in Time Trials have been added.
• Note: The "Disable" feature for the Rewind Speed and Play buttons is not supported on Mobile.

(PC/Console) Certain Default Hotkeys have changed.

• Due to a change in the default hotkeys, in the case that there are duplicate keys, Racers will be moved to the [Settings - Controls] screen on their first login after the update, and the following hotkeys have been changed:
  • PC:
    • Voice Chat
    • Open Emoji Menu / Use Emoji Slot 1
    • Use Emoji Slot 2
    • Use Emoji Slot 3
    • Use Emoji Slot 4
  • Console:
    • Voice Chat

Balloons

New Balloon Upgrade Rank: Heroic

• Balloons can now be upgraded to Heroic rank!
  • Cost: 1,500 Lucci
  • Item Mode Effects:
    • Replaces the "Missile Hit" effect with the "Banana Hit" effect.
    • Reduces the number of inputs required to Quick Escape when hit by Water Wisp or Water Bomb items
    • Decreases the duration of incoming Lightning and UFO attacks. (New to Heroic rank)
  • Speed Mode Effects:
    • Increases the Boost Gauge automatic charge by 24%. (Improved from Rare rank)
• Balloons must be Rare rank to be upgraded to Heroic rank.

Tracks

• Booster Zones have been added at set locations on the following tracks:
  • Desert: Abandoned Oasis
  • Factory: First Steps
  • Forest: Woodsy Way
  • Village: Breezy Park
  • World Tour: Gangnam Streets

Grand Prix

Season 4 Grand Prix Track Changes:

• Tracks Added to Item Grand Prix:
  • Village: Rush Hour (★★)
  • Desert: Riddling Ruins (★★★)
  • Forest: Waterfall Slide (★★★)
• Tracks Added to Speed Grand Prix:
  • WKC: Canada Circuit (★★★★)

Joy's Surprise Tests

• Reduced the number of Racers needed to trigger Joy's Surprise Tests (2 or more Racers in a match, down from 4 or more).
• The difficulty of some tests have been reduced:
  • (Item Mode - All) Use an attack item on a specific Racer 2 times (down from 3)
  • (Item Mode - All) Land an attack 5 times (down from 7)
  • (Item Mode - Solo) Block an attack 3 times (down from 5)
  • (Item Mode - Duo) Protect a teammate 4 times (down from 8)
  • (Item Mode - Squad) Protect a teammate 7 times (down from 10)

License Mode

• The difficulty of L2 License mission "01 Time Trial 1" has been slightly decreased:
  • The section of Village: Breezy Park that this trial uses has been altered to make for a faster traversal.
  • The Time Limit for the Time Trial has been decreased to 42.753s (down from 46.153s).
  • The combination of these two changes results in a slightly easier mission overall.

New Awards

24 new Track Awards have been added:

• Canada Circuit Racer (1, 2, and 3)
• Canada Circuit Attack (1, 2, and 3)
• Riddling Ruins Racer (1, 2, and 3)
• Riddling Ruins Attack (1, 2, and 3)
• Rush Hour Racer (1, 2, and 3)
• Rush Hour Attack (1, 2, and 3)
• Waterfall Slide Racer (1, 2, and 3)
• Waterfall Slide Attack (1, 2, and 3)

Other Changes

• Added the number of remaining balloons to the Balloon Equip menu, to the right of the item name.

  

• AI will now use Emojis, and have promised to be on their very best behavior.