The game has allegedly been in development for three years.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launched over four years ago, but the last new mainline Mario Kart game was the original Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U back in 2014. Fans have been craving a new game in the series for a long time now, but with how well Mario Kart 8 has sold, and given that it refuses to slow down, many have said that it’s unlikely a sequel will happen any time soon. After all, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold over 35 million copies by now, while the original for the Wii U had sold around 8.5 million a year ago, so with all of that sales momentum, why would Nintendo bother making a new game?

Well, according to known Nintendo insider Zippo, a new game is indeed coming, and coming soon. In a recently published blog update, the leaker wrote that series producer Kosuke Yabuki and his team have been working on a new mainline game in the series for three years, and stressed that this project had nothing to do with the likes of mobile title Mario Kart Tour, AR title Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, or the Universal theme park ride.

Zippo is unsure of exactly what the nature of this game is, but states that it’s looking likely it will launch either Holiday 2021, or early 2022.

It’s always best to tread with caution where unverified insider leaks are concerned, especially when it comes to the notoriously secretive Nintendo- so, you know… tread with caution.

In the same blog update, Zippo also wrote that the sequel to Breath of the Wild is unlikely to launch this year, and that a new Donkey Kong game, developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team, will be revealed at E3.