Nintendo Set to Finally Acknowledge Donkey Kong: Bananza's Secret Character — And Fans Are Now Convinced The Timing Points to Mario Kart World DLC

As Nintendo yet looks acceptable to admit a definite concealed character's beingness successful Donkey Kong: Bananza, fans are taking the infinitesimal arsenic further grounds of upcoming, unannounced Mario Kart World DLC.

As everyone who has completed Donkey Kong: Bananza volition know, the game's last brag is King K. Rool (and if you haven't played the crippled yet, you should, it's great). While he's hinted astatine galore times during the game, King K. Rool's uncover is kept arsenic a precocious astonishment — and Nintendo has hidden the crowned reptile from each of its selling astir the game. That is, until now.

Dataminers who person peered into the files of the Nintendo Today smartphone app person spotted that Rool volition yet beryllium acknowledged connected December 15, erstwhile the scaled royal fig is acceptable to prima successful the software's regular intro animation (as recorded and already disposable via the Mario Wiki). And now, fans are putting Rool's uncover unneurotic with a definite different lawsuit happening successful the precise adjacent future, on with immoderate erstwhile hints, to suggest we'll beryllium seeing overmuch much of the quality precise shortly.

Because, of course, adjacent week is The Game Awards connected December 11, and Nintendo has utilized the amusement to uncover immoderate much insignificant announcements successful the past — though, it has to beryllium said, not for the past fewer years.

King K. Rool.

But there's an anticipation that Nintendo does person DLC for Mario Kart World waiting successful the wings, arsenic that game's credits mysteriously see the dependable actors for some King K. Rool and Void Kong, Bananza's main villain. Neither quality tin beryllium recovered successful the crippled astatine present, thing that's led fans to judge the brace are arriving arsenic portion of the racer's archetypal question of post-launch characters.

Wrapping up 2025 with a DLC driblet for Switch 2's motorboat rubric that celebrates this year's second-biggest Nintendo merchandise conscionable makes sense, and whitethorn assistance displacement a fewer much Switch 2 consoles up of the holidays (not that Nintendo truly needs the help).

Will King K. Rool beryllium gathering Geoff Keighley adjacent week? As ever, IGN volition beryllium reporting connected each of the announcements from The Game Awards live.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social