Gaming News News Video Nintendo Hosts Direct Presentation Focused on Kirby Air Riders

Nintendo Hosts Direct Presentation Focused on Kirby Air Riders

October 23, 2025, 05:57 PM

Nintendo has held its second Direct broadcast, this time dedicated entirely to the arcade racer Kirby Air Riders—an exclusive for the Switch 2. During the presentation, director Masahiro Sakurai provided an in-depth look at the game’s key features and innovations, and also showcased new gameplay footage.

Here’s what we know about Kirby Air Riders:

The game features a full story mode called Road Trip—a campaign with challenges inspired by Air Ride, City Trial, and Top Ride, complete with unique missions, its own narrative, and character interactions;
The classic Top Ride mode is back, offering a top-down view with courses inspired by Air Ride. Up to 8 players can compete online and up to 4 offline;
Additional game modes were announced, including Swap Relay (where you switch vehicles every lap), new challenges, and updated versions of Air Ride and City Trial;
City Trial introduces new items, like the Mega Cannon, and unique bosses such as Robo Dedede, who can transform between different forms;
The Paddock is a unique online lobby where players can freely move around, share emotions, create matches, and even listen to their own music;
Tons of racers from the Kirby universe are available: Waddle Dee, King Dedede, Gooey, Chef Kawasaki, Metaknight, Starman, and more;
Characters and vehicles are selected separately, with deep customization and personalization options for both—including visual styles and emotes;
Both new and legendary vehicles are included. Among them is the hybrid Transform Star, which can switch its movement type on the fly;
Competitions support up to 16 players in City Trial, with a variety of formats for both online and local multiplayer;
Kirby’s copy abilities have been expanded, and systems for boosting, drifting, and contact attacks have been reworked. Several new items are available for different modes;
For the first time, there’s an achievement checklist with multiple tabs for different modes (Road Trip, Top Ride, City Trial, Air Ride, and Online) and instant access to unfinished challenges;
Weather effects and dynamic environments have been added and improved, and the total number of tracks has been increased to 18 (all original tracks are preserved);
Announced support for and unique interactions with large amiibo figures (Meta Knight & Shadow Star, King Dedede & Tank Star, Chef Kawasaki & Hop Star); each features a magnetic base for exchanging racers. The figures will launch in 2026;
A demo version of Kirby Air Riders (for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers) will be available during the Global Test Ride from November 8–9 and November 15–16;
There’s also a training complex—lessons to master advanced techniques;
The game takes full advantage of all key Switch 2 features: enhanced graphics, fast loading, and new gameplay possibilities;
Pre-orders are available now on the official website.

Kirby Air Riders launches on November 20, 2025. By the way, we recently reported that the Nintendo Switch 2 has become the best-selling console in the US.

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About the author

Hennadiy Chemеris

News Author

Gaming Journalist. I have been writing news for VGTimes since 2015 on a variety of topics including not only games but also movies, anime, cosplay, cutting-edge technology, artificial intelligence, memes, and social media. I am also the author of several reviews, top lists, compilations, and other articles related to video games. I collect various gamer memorabilia, including figurines, posters, old consoles, and more. I have a keen interest in retro gaming. I have been gaming since the early 2000s on both PC and consoles.

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