Nintendo has officially announced Kirby Air Riders for the Nintendo Switch 2, a new racing game that serves as a sequel to the GameCube cult classic Kirby Air Ride from 2003. The game is being developed by Sora Ltd. and will launch sometime in 2025.
What makes this announcement particularly significant is that the game is being directed by Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Kirby and director of the Super Smash Bros. series. This marks Sakurai’s return to the Kirby franchise, as this is his first Kirby title since the original Air Ride on GameCube over 20 years ago.
The announcement came during the April 2, 2025 Nintendo Switch 2 Direct presentation, where Nintendo revealed numerous games for its upcoming console. While specific gameplay details remain scarce, Nintendo released a cinematic trailer showing Kirby on his iconic Warp Star machine alongside other Kirby characters riding various unique vehicles as they joined together on a racetrack.
For fans of the original game, this announcement is particularly exciting as the GameCube’s Kirby Air Ride was known for its unique racing mechanics, where players didn’t need to press buttons to accelerate—vehicles moved automatically while players focused on steering. The original also featured the beloved “City Trial” mode, where players collected power-ups in an open city before competing in randomly selected mini-games.
The Nintendo Switch 2 itself will launch on June 5, 2025, priced at $449.99 in the US and £395 in the UK.
