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We knew this would happen at some point, but it appears that things are somewhat official. The launch-day bundle for the Nintendo Switch 2 that packed in the first $80 modern video game, Mario Kart World, for one appealing price is reportedly no longer in production.
As first shared by Nintendeal on social media, a leaked internal GameStop memo states that the bundle will no longer be produced, and whatever stock exists should still be recommended to customers versus purchasing things separately.
“This bundle SKU has now reached end of lifecycle, and additional units will no longer be produced,” the memo states. “While still available, this bundle should be recommended to Customers as a great value offering an additional value of $29.99 vs. purchasing the game and console separately.
“Future replenishment of Nintendo Switch 2 will be the base console.”
While TheGamer has been unable to verify the legitimacy of the memo, it does track with Nintendo’s own words from back in April during the Switch 2’s initial unveiling. Back then, the company affirmed that the bundle would be a limited-time production through Fall 2025, and while supplies last.
Perhaps given its immense popularity, the production of the bundle did extend. However, now that there’s a Pokemon Legends: Z-A bundle, it probably made sense to shift things.
There’s also a good chance that Nintendo will cycle in various games for its bundles throughout the years to come.
Mario Kart World Became A Best-Seller On The Back Of That Bundle
Beyond interest in what bundles Nintendo has plans for in the future, should the MK World bundle cease to exist, how World sells on its own as an $80 title without any baked-in savings is equally fascinating.
In November, TheGamer reported that the Switch 2 had already managed to sell 10.36 million units, of which MK World had a massive 92 percent attach rate. Of its 9.57 million copies sold, 8.1 million or 84 percent of that figure came via the Switch 2 bundle.
That meant about 1.47M people bought the game for the full $80 price point. Depending on how things shook out during the frenetic pre-order period, there’s a less than zero percent chance that some of those purchases came on the heels of the bundle being sold out and people not wanting to miss out on a Switch 2, and what was, at the time, the only marquee exclusive available.
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Which is to say, the bundle served as a major bridge for those who may have been on the fence about purchasing an $80 title. Eliminating that will surely eat into copies sold and might force Nintendo’s hand one way or another.
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