Nintendo has long been the go-to company for first-party games that offer family fun. Interestingly, despite the massive success of such games, few other publishers have managed to replicate their formula with the same success. While Warner Bros. Games has attempted to emulate the Super Smash Bros. concept with MultiVersus, it appears that the company also once explored a Mario Kart-style project as well.
This information was revealed by Colin Moriarty, host of the Sacred Symbols podcast. According to Moriarty, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, WB Games approved the development of a project that sought to bring the essence of Mario Kart into the MultiVersus universe.
The concept was simple. This game would mimic Mario Kart, featuring a roster of Warner Bros. characters from various franchises taking part in explosive, competitive races. Moreover, it was intended to be distributed as a free-to-play title. Unfortunately, the project encountered several internal challenges that ultimately led to an uncertain fate.
Developed by WB San Diego, a studio that was recently shut down by Warner Bros. Games, the game was originally planned for release on PC. However, it never received approval for launch. Reports suggest that WB San Diego employees even felt envious of MultiVersus receiving a second release while their racing project remained in limbo.
The project, internally codenamed Moonlight or XDR, had a team of over 100 developers working on it. However, high employee turnover significantly disrupted the development process, preventing the game from progressing as smoothly as intended.
At this time, there are no further details regarding the status of the Mario Kart-style MultiVersus game or whether WB Games has any plans to resurrect the project in the future. If you ask us, there is always room for another kart racer, especially one with characters we all know.
