Nintendo’s latest Kirby Air Riders Direct has given fans a deep dive into the long‑awaited sequel to the 2003 GameCube cult classic Kirby Air Ride, confirming a November 20, 2025 release date exclusively for Nintendo Switch 22. Presented by series creator Masahiro Sakurai, the 45 minute broadcast outlined how this new entry both honors the original and expands it with modern systems, richer content, and a broader roster of playable characters.
The presentation opened with the reveal of over a dozen pilots drawn from across the Kirby universe. Alongside staples like Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Bandana Waddle Dee, players can now race as Chef Kawasaki, Magolor, Gooey, Knuckle Joe, Susie, Starman, Cozy, and even a mysterious dark rider teased at the end of the trailer3. Each pilot has unique stats and special techniques, with Kirby alone boasting four distinct “Specials” tied to his color variant. Copy Abilities return in expanded form, allowing all characters, not just Kirby, to absorb environmental elements or enemies mid‑race, gaining temporary powers such as water blasts or trap creation.
Vehicle handling retains the series’ signature auto‑acceleration, freeing players to focus on steering, timing boosts, and executing aerial maneuvers. The Boost Charge mechanic, activated by holding and releasing a button, enables both speed bursts and controlled drifts. Air Ride machines vary in weight, durability, glide, and drift potential, encouraging experimentation between pilot and vehicle pairings. Tracks span land, sea, and air routes, with interactive elements like rails, ramps, and vertical ascents adding tactical depth.
Sakurai devoted significant time to the return of City Trial, now set on the sprawling floating island of Celesta (also referred to as Skyah in some segments)3. In this mode, up to 16 online or 8 local players have five minutes to explore freely, collect power‑ups, sabotage rivals, and face random “Field Events”, from short sprints to boss fights against series icons like Kracko and Dyna Blade. The session culminates in a Stadium challenge, where the upgrades gathered determine performance in a final race, battle, or unique event.
Other confirmed modes include the classic Air Ride circuit races for up to six players, and a Pilot School (or Lessons Mode) designed to teach both basic and advanced techniques. Multiplayer is a clear focus: the game supports local wireless play, robust online matchmaking, and Nintendo’s new GameChat system for integrated voice and video communication during races. Sakurai emphasized that while Kirby Air Riders shares surface similarities with Mario Kart, its design philosophy prioritizes self‑improvement and mastery over direct sabotage, making it easy to learn, but extremely hard to master.
Visually, the game benefits from the Switch 2’s hardware, Sakurai can offer higher fidelity environments, denser NPC and object placement, and smoother performance. Seven tracks from the soundtrack, including a new vocal main theme, will be available via the Nintendo Music app. Nintendo also confirmed a playable demo at PAX West 2025, accessible through the Warp Pipe Pass system
