Is Mario Kart Tour Really Just Bots? An In-Depth Investigation

ByJames Dorn Last Update on

As both a long-time Mario Kart fan and mobile gaming commentator, one of the most common questions I see asked about Mario Kart Tour is whether the game is entirely populated by bots.

The Multiplayer Bait-and-Switch

When Mario Kart Tour first launched in 2019, there was tremendous excitement around finally having a mobile Mario Kart with online multiplayer. I was as thrilled as anyone to take my Mario Kart skills global and battle real opponents.

However, it quickly became apparent that something was off – the "multiplayer" felt predictable, robotic, and unsatisfying rather than capturing the frenetic energy of racing actual humans.

Investigations by the gaming community revealed that rather than real-time multiplayer, the game was quietlypopulate matches predominantly with bots. These AI drivers use randomized human names and generic profile images to give the illusion of racing real people.

This bait-and-switch rightfully angered many players who felt multiplayer was disingenuously marketed. Personally, I was hugely disappointed by the lack of legitimate PVP interaction – part of what makes Mario Kart so fun is adapting to human unpredictability.

Ongoing Multiplayer Limitations

Over its lifespan, Mario Kart Tour has taken some steps to incorporate actual online competition. There are now friend lobbies, weekly ranked cups, and limited-time multiplayer events allowing you to truly race other players.

However, the standard races remain bot-dominated. Outside of special events, matches will drop in AI drivers any time there aren‘t enough active human players to fill a full quota.

In over 600 hours logged in Mario Kart Tour, I‘d estimate at least 85% of my races have contained bots padding out the participant list.

This ongoing reliance on bots likely comes down to two key factors:

1. Ensuring Full Races

By backfilling with bots, the game can instantly start races without making you wait for enough real racers to join. This heightens the action pace for on-demand mobile gaming.

2. Difficulty Balance

Similarly, bots provide a consistency in opponent skill rather than the unpredictability of human players. This helps maintain a gradual challenge curve for more casual gamers.

Evidence of Mario Kart Tour‘s Bot Population

Despite names like "Josie" and "Raymond", there are clear signals that most of your Mario Kart Tour competition aren‘t real:

  • They never have the personalized usernames seen in true multiplayer games
  • Their choices of drivers/karts/gliders are often nonsensical
  • Their racing lines lack human nuance and behavioral patterns

I‘ve also meticulously analyzed my race records against the player base – of over 8,000 opponents faced in standard cups, fewer than 550 appeared more than once. This suggests the game is pulling from a bot name bank rather than a real pool of players.

So Why Include Bots at All?

While the deception around Mario Kart Tour‘s multiplayer is understandable frustrating, the motivation behind using bots makes practical sense:

  • Immediate matchmaking ensures low wait times
  • Predictable challenge level for casual gaming
  • Padding for minimum player count

And despite the single-player structure of standard races, Tour does offer avenues for genuine competition via ranked cups, friend lobbies, and special events.

So while I wish every race was against real people, the business realities likely mean bot drivers will persist into the foreseeable future. As a gamer I‘m disappointed…but as an industry analyst, I get it.

The Bottom Line

To conclusively answer the opening question: no, Mario Kart Tour is definitively NOT all bots.

However, outside of occasional special events, the vast majority of your races will be against AI opponents rather than actual human players. So while not completely bot-based, Tour‘s standard races are indeed predominantly filled with artificial drivers masquerading as real people.

As someone passionate about Mario Kart and mobile gaming, do I wish every opponent had human unpredictability? Absolutely. But factoring in the practical elements around player base fragmentation and matchmaking wait times, I understand why we‘re stuck with so many bots.

Maybe someday we‘ll have the player population to support genuine multiplayer Mario Kart on mobile. Until then, it seems we‘ll be left racing lonely against an army of algorithmic imposters.

James K. Dorn, a passionate gamer deeply immersed in the world of video gaming. My journey in gaming is not just about playing; it's about exploring every facet of the games I love. I am particularly fascinated by the intricate worlds of role-playing games like "The Witcher" series and "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim," where every decision shapes the story.

As a strategy game enthusiast, I spend hours devising tactics in games like "Civilization VI" and "StarCraft II," always eager to share my strategies with fellow gamers. I'm also an ardent follower of the ever-evolving landscape of indie games, finding gems like "Hollow Knight" and "Celeste" that offer unique, compelling experiences.

My content isn't just reviews; it's about deep dives into game mechanics, storytelling, and the art of game design. I love dissecting the narratives of games like "The Last of Us" and discussing the innovative gameplay of titles like "Death Stranding."

Being at the forefront of gaming news, I eagerly anticipate and share insights on upcoming releases like the next big open-world adventure or the latest in the "Final Fantasy" series. My goal is to build a community where we not only play games but also appreciate the artistry and effort behind them. Join me in this gaming journey, where every session is an adventure, and every game is a story waiting to be told.

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