Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the best-selling video games of all time, therefore a sequel is a certain conclusion. While Nintendo usually only releases one Mario Kart game per device, the fact that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an upgraded Wii U version suggests that a new Mario Kart game for the Switch might be produced from the ground up. Although no official announcement has been made at this moment, a video game analyst has stated that Mario Kart 9 is under active production with a “novel twist.”

Dr. Serkan Toto, a video game industry expert, told Gamesindustry that Mario Kart 9 is in “active production” and that Nintendo may announce it later this year. This would correspond to previous speculations regarding a new Mario Kart game, with leakers claiming the game will be released in 2022. It’s uncertain whether Mario Kart 9 will be released in 2022 or not, but it’ll be interesting to watch whether these predictions come true.

Dr. Toto also mentioned that Mario Kart 9 will feature a “new twist,” although he didn’t elaborate on what that twist is. Fans of Mario Kart will have to wait for an official announcement to find out for sure, but if the leaks around the game are true, fans may already have a good sense of what to anticipate.

According to the same report that indicated the new Mario Kart will be released in 2022, the game’s subtitle might be Crossroads, and it would have more IP than simply Super Mario. This isn’t a new concept; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had Link from The Legend of Zelda and Isabelle from Animal Crossing, so it’s not entirely new, but if the rumors are accurate, it’ll lean much more heavily on the crossover component. A Mario Kart game with a crossover lineup akin to Super Smash Bros. would undoubtedly be a “fresh twist” for the genre, however this is currently only speculation.

According to the leaks, if the next Mario Kart game isn’t called Mario Kart Crossroads, it will be called Mario Kart 10 instead of Mario Kart 9. The explanation for this is that Nintendo may consider the Mario Kart Tour mobile game to be the franchise’s ninth main series release. However, until Nintendo clarifies the situation, fans should take everything with a grain of salt.