Nintendo has clapped back at rumors that it used generative AI to create some of the visuals in its upcoming Switch 2 launch title Super Mario Kart World.
“AI-generated images were not used in the development of Mario Kart World,” a Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer earlier this week.
The rumors emerged after Mario Kart fans on social media pointed out some fairly unusual imagery in the upcoming game, following a recent official livestream of the title.
Images included a billboard featuring a car with surreal proportions—massively elongated windows and a minuscule chassis underneath—practically defying the laws of physics. Though Mario Kart isn’t exactly a franchise known for realism, some YouTubers posited that Nintendo used generative AI to produce the image.
(Credit: Nintendo)
Generative AI, while capable of producing photorealistic images it is also notorious for creating visuals with bizarre proportions, like rendering humans with six fingers.
Regardless of whether Nintendo used AI-generated artwork, the idea of big-budget AAA games featuring AI assets isn’t far-fetched in 2025. Activision recently admitted it had used generative AI to produce visual assets in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone, after players spotted a six-fingered zombie Santa in one of the loading screens, prompting mixed reactions from gamers. Generative AI is also already being used for voiceover work in major titles like the Polish-language version of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and even for writing dialogue in many games.
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However, it’s unlikely we’ll see generative AI in upcoming Nintendo titles anytime soon. In a 2024 Q&A session for investors, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa shot down the idea of the company using the technology for future titles, citing potential intellectual property issues.
Mario Kart World is currently scheduled for release on June 5, 2025, as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s perhaps understandable that gamers are nitpicking details in Mario Kart World—it’s set to retail at $80, one of the highest prices ever recorded for a newly released video game (barring things like collector’s editions or monthly subscription fees).
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About Will McCurdy
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