Although Nintendo has not officially uttered the frustrating and disappointing word – price hike – many may have to brace themselves for a 2026 that begins exactly this way.

The Japanese company is officially discontinuing production of the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle. While it remains unclear whether this move will apply worldwide, it can already be treated as effectively confirmed in the United States. The information originates from an internal GameStop memo, in which the retailer states that the bundle SKU has reached the end of its lifecycle and that no additional units will be manufactured. Future supply of the Nintendo Switch 2 will consist solely of the base console, meaning the hardware released in June will no longer ship with a game included in the box.

Nintendo had previously warned that the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle would only be available for a limited time, though it never specified when the promotion would end. It now appears that the answer has arrived. Retailers will continue selling their remaining stock, but once those units are gone, that will be the end of the bundle. If you can still find it in stores and are considering investing in Nintendo’s new hardware, it may be wise to act quickly.

CONFIRMED: the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle has officially ended production according to an internal GameStop memo

“This bundle SKU has now reached end of lifecycle, and additional units will no longer be produced. Future replenishment of Nintendo Switch 2 will be the base… pic.twitter.com/RYTgQvbUaQ

— Nintendeal (@Nintendeal) December 21, 2025

For most consumers, purchasing the bundle was an obvious choice. Mario Kart World alone carries a price tag of $80, which translates to €90 in Europe. Buying the bundle for $500 meant saving $30, a meaningful amount when dealing with current-generation hardware and a brand-new game. There is little doubt that additional Nintendo Switch 2 bundles will appear in the future; one was already released in October featuring Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

So why does this point toward a price increase? The reasoning is straightforward. Alongside ongoing memory shortages, Nintendo has previously considered raising prices due to political and economic pressures – something it already did with the first-generation Switch. Without a bundle, buyers must purchase a game separately for the base console, which already adds extra cost. An official price hike could follow on top of that. The only remaining question is when Nintendo will make such an announcement.

Source: NintendoEverything