Legendary game designer Masahiro Sakurai recently offered fans a brief but exciting update on Kirby Air Riders, the upcoming kart racing sequel to 2003’s Kirby Air Ride. In a post on Twitter/X, Sakurai stated the game is “shaping up to be something great,” signaling that development is progressing well ahead of its anticipated 2025 release on the Nintendo Switch 2.
First revealed during April’s highly anticipated Nintendo Direct for Switch 2, Kirby Air Riders will mark Sakurai’s return to the Kirby franchise alongside long-time collaborator HAL Laboratory and development partner Bandai Namco, who has co-developed the Super Smash Bros. series in recent years.
While Sakurai’s tweet offered few details, its timing was significant. It coincided with the anniversary of Kirby Air Ride, a cult favorite that originally launched for the Nintendo GameCube in 2003. That title, though initially divisive for its simplified controls and one-button gameplay, has since become a beloved multiplayer gem thanks to its chaotic “City Trial” mode and fast-paced hover-racing action.
“Kirby Air Riders is shaping up to be something great,” Sakurai wrote on Twitter/X, sparking excitement across the Nintendo fanbase.
Fans were also touched by Sakurai’s reflection on the game’s legacy and its ties to the late Satoru Iwata, former Nintendo president and a key supporter of the original Air Ride. Iwata was instrumental in greenlighting the project despite its rough development, and his legacy looms large in Sakurai’s continued efforts.
Interestingly, industry insiders speculate that Sakurai’s return to Kirby might be part of a larger strategy from Nintendo. According to rumors, Sakurai was granted creative freedom on Kirby Air Riders as a sort of “bargaining chip” to secure his involvement in a future Super Smash Bros. title for the Switch 2—though no such title has been officially announced yet.
Kirby Air Riders is described as a “passion project” for Sakurai, marking his first direct involvement with HAL Laboratory since 2004’s Kirby & the Amazing Mirror on Game Boy Advance. The sequel is expected to expand on the foundation of the original while leveraging the Switch 2’s hardware for improved visuals, multiplayer features, and online play.
For now, fans will have to wait patiently, but Sakurai’s simple endorsement is already fueling optimism. Given his track record with genre-defining games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Kid Icarus: Uprising, Kirby Air Riders is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated titles of Nintendo’s next era.