Following Nintendo’s move to remove the gacha system in Mario Kart Tour, the game has reportedly already reached almost $300 million in revenue.
To be exact, the game is said to have made up to $293 million since it was launched in 2019, according to Sensor Tower.
With Mario Kart Tour being a free-to-play game, all of its earnings have come from its gacha system, where players spend real-life money to buy resources (Rubies) that can be used to purchase “pipes.” These pipes can then unlock a new driver, kart, and glider, with the 100th pipe guaranteeing a limited-time driver. Also, the game’s monthly Gold Pass subscription contributed to the game’s sales, which is priced at $4.99.
This follows Nintendo’s confirmation last week that the gacha system being used in Mario Kart Tour will be removed this month. It will be replaced by the new “Spotlight Shop,” where players can directly buy their desired drivers and items using Rubies and will no longer need to purchase pipes.
“Here’s a peek at #MarioKartTour’s update coming late September,” Nintendo said in a tweet. “Battle mode will be added, along with a Spotlight Shop, where you can exchange rubies for drivers, karts, and gliders! Also, pipes you can fire by using rubies will be removed. See the notification for details.”
Mario Kart Tour was released in 2019 for both Android and iOS platforms, featuring some of the most popular characters from the Mario franchise as racers, such as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and more.
