As previously announced, Kirby Air Riders’ free playtest will start on November 8, and you can download the Global Test Ride on Nintendo Switch 2 right now.
If you head over to the Nintendo eShop and search for Kirby Air Riders, you’ll come across the Global Test Ride page. A completely free download that requires an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play online, the playtest gives you access to the game’s frantic dasher Air Ride and free-for-all City Trial modes, as well as a couple of maps to race on. Below is the full schedule.
Full Kirby Air Riders: Global Test Ride Schedule
First Weekend:
- November 8, from 12-6 AM PT / 3-9 AM ET
- November 8, 4-10 PM PT / 7 PM – 1 AM ET
- November 9, 7 AM – 1 PM PT / 10 AM – 4 PM ET
Second Weekend:
- November 15, 12-6 AM PT / 3-9 AM ET
- November 15, 4-10 PM PT / 7 PM – 1 AM ET
- November 16, 7 AM – 1 PM PT / 10 AM – 4 PM ET
The eShop describes Air Ride as a “frantic dash against five other Riders” in which you “attack opposing Riders” and trail behind their wake to gather stars for a speed boost. It’s a “more straightforward racing” kind of mode. Meanwhile, City Trial is a “free-for-all battle for 16 players online.” You collect power-ups, survive Field Events like falling meteors and “powerful boss battles,” and compete against rival Riders in Stadium contests.
A sequel to a series that’s been dormant for over 20 years, director Masahiro Sakurai said Kirby Air Riders is “basically Mario Kart” in August 2025, so if you like that racing game, you may like this racing game. He also said it won’t get any DLC, claiming that “everything is here.”
Kirby Air Riders hits Nintendo Switch 2 on November 20.
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