{"id":22488,"date":"2023-10-23T18:56:36","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T09:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=22488"},"modified":"2023-10-23T18:56:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T09:56:38","slug":"20231023-22488","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/20231023-22488\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe esports scene is thriving 6 years after the game\u2019s release. What keeps the competitive scene so enraptured?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe<\/strong>, released in April 2017, has entered its seventh year upon launch, but the esports community that formed around it is still very much alive and thriving. In this article, we ask Japan\u2019s top player Kusaan about what keeps the game\u2019s competitive community so hooked.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (MK8DX) is a Nintendo Switch title based on Mario Kart 8. It expands on the original game with further battle and difficulty settings, additional tracks and characters, as well as overall balance and gameplay improvements.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the game\u2019s competitive scene, tournaments are organized regularly both within Japan and internationally, mainly via MKCentral<\/a>. Aside from tournaments, players also compete in the MK8DX Lounge, an unofficial rating battle system through which players compete day and night, aiming to rank higher and higher. What keeps the MK8DX competitive community so passionate for the game even after all these years? We ask Kusaan, the captain of the Japan team, who has participated in the community for years and holds the highest ranking of \u201cGrand Master.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image Credit: @kusaan on YouTube<\/a>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The synergy of a seasoned community and a stream of new content<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first factor Kusaan attributes the game\u2019s popularity to is a big and well-timed update the game received. In February 2022, the \u201cMario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass\u201d was announced. This update includes the addition of 48 remastered circuits to the game. The new courses are being released in groups of 8, through six \u201cwaves,\u201d and in each of the waves, large-scale updates related to characters and vehicles are being carried out as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n