The Best Switch 2 Exclusives Just Got New Updates for January 2026

Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza have both just received their first official updates of 2026. These Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza updates were released on January 21 and can be downloaded for free by simply booting up the Nintendo Switch 2 system and launching either one.

Following their respective releases in June and July, Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza have both received quite a few updates each. Along with a plethora of fixes and performance improvements, Mario Kart World‘s post-launch updates have tweaked item rules, spectator modes, and multiplayer functionality. Donkey Kong Bananza‘s updates have been fewer in number but have occasionally been meatier, such as the September 12 update that added support for the Donkey Kong Bananza DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC.

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Mario Kart World Gets a New Update for January 2026

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Mario Kart World‘s last official update arrived on December 15, 2025. This update’s primary purpose was to fix a controller issue where some players were experiencing performance problems after disconnecting and reconnecting a controller. The January 21 Mario Kart World update is a little more substantial.

By far the most noteworthy addition of Mario Kart World‘s most recent update is that teams have been added to Knockout Tour. When setting up a Knockout Tour race via either online or local wireless multiplayer, players can now separate racers into teams. The current options are two teams of 12, three teams of 8, or four teams of 6. Computer-controlled racers will fill any team slots that aren’t occupied by real players.

While a regular match of Knockout Tour sees one person take home the crown, this team-oriented version is based primarily on points, with a team earning points based on how far each member made it through the tour, culminating in a final score that determines their overall position. The Mario Kart World Ver. 1.5.0 update also added Polish language support, along with a handful of fixes and technical improvements.

Full Mario Kart World Ver. 1.5.0 Patch Notes

Added team races to Knockout Tour when playing in a room during “Online Play” and “Wireless Play”.
The game now supports the Polish language.
- Note: You can change your selected language using the “Language” setting in the “System” menu of “System Settings.”

Fixed Issues

Fixed an issue where the game would sometimes end if a player plays as Kamek on Choco Mountain.
Fixed an issue where the displayed rating would sometimes be incorrect when joining “Everyone” in “Online Play” while in a room.
Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.

Systems

Released: June 5, 2025
ESRB: Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
Developer(s): Nintendo
Publisher(s): Nintendo

Donkey Kong Bananza Gets a New Update for January 2026

DK and the Odd Rock (Pauline) obtain a Banandium Gem

Before today, Donkey Kong Bananza last received an update on December 21, 2025. Along with some unspecified fixes, this December update added a “Camera auto-follow feature” to Donkey Kong Bananza‘s Options menu, and added Thai language support. The January 21 Donkey Kong Bananza update follows a similar pattern, adding Polish language support along with unidentified improvements to the gameplay experience.

This latest Donkey Kong Bananza update coincides with a new limited-time event that’s exclusive to the game’s Emerald Rush DLC. Until January 26, Donkey Kong Bananza players can earn in-game statues of Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze main antagonist Lord Fredrik and common enemy Tucks. Players earn these in-game rewards by completing a new Emerald Rush event that replaces the usually-randomized Banandium Skills with predetermined ones.

Full Donkey Kong Bananza Ver. 3.1.0 Patch Notes

Added Polish as a supported language. If you set the language to “Polish/English” in the Nintendo Switch 2 system, the text will become Polish.
Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.