Mario Kart World Has Secret Multiplayer Feature

Mario Kart World has a hidden LAN Play mode that can be unlocked from the very first gameplay session. However, this hidden multiplayer feature is unlikely to see much use outside of Mario Kart World tournaments.

As the name implies, LAN Play is a mode that enables Mario Kart World to be played over a local area network. Instead of each console connecting to the others via ad-hoc Wi-Fi, this mode allows players to link all devices to a single router, either via Ethernet cables or wirelessly. Numerous games for the original Switch supported LAN play, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

The multiplayer feature has returned in the critically acclaimed Mario Kart World, although it doesn’t make its presence obvious. As noted by Reddit user Howwy23 and confirmed by Game Rant, enabling LAN play is as simple as opening the main menu, selecting Wireless Play (without confirming), and pressing the left analog stick while holding the L and R shoulder buttons. This input changes the selected option to LAN Play. The same button combination reverts it back to Wireless Play.

How To Unlock Secret LAN Play Mode in Mario Kart World

Open the main menu
Select “Wireless Play” (without confirming)
While holding R + L, press the left analog stick

In LAN play, a maximum of two people can play on a single Switch 2, compared to the usual four.

Because the game defaults to Wireless Play on each boot, the LAN feature remains effectively hidden. The same was true for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which used an identical method for accessing LAN Play. Functionally, the hidden mode differs by allowing up to 24 Switch 2 consoles to connect to a single session, compared to eight in Wireless Play. The trade-off is that only two Mario Kart World players can use a single console in this mode, rather than the usual four.

Why Is Mario Kart World LAN Mode Hidden?

Access to this mode is likely hidden due to its intended use case. Since Wireless Play via ad-hoc Wi-Fi already supports up to eight consoles, it covers most Mario Kart World multiplayer scenarios. The main exception would be tournaments, where more than eight consoles may be used in a single location. Given this niche application, Nintendo appears to have kept LAN Play out of sight to declutter the main menu and minimize the chances of confusing casual players.

A secondary use for LAN play is initiating the only current method of accessing Free Roam mode in local co-op. While this mode is also available via online lobbies or Wireless Play sessions, LAN play offers the advantage of supporting a wider range of controller setups. Unlike Wireless Play, which limits two players to a single Joy-Con each, LAN play allows for more varied gamepad combinations, including two pairs of Joy-Cons.