Mario Kart Tour begins multiplayer beta

The mobile Mario Kart game may be the most-downloaded iPhone game of 2019, but many of those players felt disappointed that it was, at the time, a single-player offering. Well, now Nintendo is starting to dole out the multiplayer experience that has defined the series, but in a limited-time beta.

The beta test will run from Dec. 19 to 27, and will be available for players who are a part of the highly-criticized Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass. (The Gold Pass is a $4.99-a-month subscription service that awards players special gifts, badges, and 200cc mode. A free two week trial of the subscription service is available.)

Nintendo states that participants may experience issues such as freezes, and that the beta may drain your battery quicker than usual — but working out these hitches is exactly what betas are for. Additionally, data generated from the beta test will not carry over to the full multiplayer release.

If nothing else, the beta is a good excuse to brush up on your poor steering skills before you have to face off against other actual human beings.