Mario Kart World 1.7.0 update adds two new Knockout Tour routes
The Mario Kart World update version 1.7.0 is rolling out on Nintendo Switch 2, adding Drill Rally and Boomerang Rally to Knockout Tour, Photo Mode stickers, Thai language support, and a long list of balance tweaks and bug fixes. Nintendo has also confirmed that more Knockout Tour routes are on the way.
Nintendo dropped the patch with little fanfare, and IGN described it as a surprise update for the Switch 2 launch title. For players focused on Knockout Tour, the Mario Kart World update expands the mode's selectable rally list with two new long-distance routes.
Key Takeaways
- Version 1.7.0 adds Drill Rally and Boomerang Rally to Knockout Tour on Nintendo Switch 2.
- Both routes unlock after you have played at least one Knockout Tour rally.
- Photo Mode now supports stickers from the pause menu, using touch or mouse controls.
- Nintendo confirmed six additional Knockout Tour routes are planned for future updates.
- The patch also adds Thai language support and fixes a Time Trials finish-line timing bug.
What is in the Mario Kart World 1.7.0 update?
According to Nintendo's official announcement, Knockout Tour is a mode where you race from one end of the vast world to the other. It starts with 24 drivers, and if you do not place high enough by each of the five checkpoints, you are eliminated.
Nintendo Everything reports that the version 1.7.0 patch notes also include broader gameplay adjustments, such as improved acceleration for slower characters and vehicles, faster gliding for high-speed builds, and changes to item-box rates in races and Knockout Tour. A ramp was added on the route from Airship Fortress to Bowser's Castle.
What are Drill Rally and Boomerang Rally?
Drill Rally is a route that connects Wario Shipyard and Bowser's Castle. Boomerang Rally connects Salty Salty Speedway and Whistlestop Summit. Nintendo lists both as new selectable rallies inside Knockout Tour.
Nintendo Everything published an official trailer for the update alongside the full 1.7.0 patch notes. IGN highlighted the new Knockout Tour routes as the standout addition in the surprise release.
How do you unlock the new Knockout Tour routes?
You can select Drill Rally and Boomerang Rally once you have played at least one rally in Knockout Tour. Nintendo's announcement and the 1.7.0 patch notes list the same unlock condition, so you do not need to clear every existing rally first.
Nintendo Switch 2 users should be seeing version 1.7.0 roll out now, Nintendo Everything reports.
What else changed beyond Knockout Tour?
Photo Mode gained stickers. While paused, you can place unlocked stickers on your shots using touch controls or a mouse. Nintendo also added Thai language support through System Settings.
The patch fixes an issue where Time Trials finish-line times could record incorrectly, and Nintendo warns that affected ghosts may be removed from View Rankings without notice. For more Switch 2 game news, see our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.