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Kirby Air Riders launched for Nintendo Switch 2 on November 20, 2025. That date has passed; Nintendo’s published date answers the original “when is it coming?” question, but does not establish current regional stock or availability.
When did Kirby Air Riders release?
Nintendo lists Kirby Air Riders as a Nintendo Switch 2 game released on November 20, 2025. Nintendo’s investor release schedule notes that release dates can differ by region, so check the listing for your country for its local date and current purchasing options: Nintendo’s US game page and Nintendo’s UK game page. The schedule is available from Nintendo’s investor relations site.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Kirby Air Riders - Nintendo Switch 2 | $48.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![Kirby Air Riders Standard - Nintendo Switch 2 [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/412VOa-X12L._SL160_.jpg)
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Kirby Air Riders Standard - Nintendo Switch 2 [Digital Code] | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Nintendo Switch 2 Amiibo Bandana Waddle Dee & Winged Star | $47.99 | Buy on Amazon |
What modes does Kirby Air Riders include?
Nintendo describes four modes, spanning racing, arena-style play, and a story-driven set of challenges. These are announced features, not a hands-on assessment.
- Air Ride: A race-focused mode.
- Top Ride: Racing viewed from above.
- City Trial: An arena-style mode.
- Road Trip: A story mode that brings together challenges from Air Ride, City Trial, and Top Ride, including races, battles, and Field Events.
Nintendo also describes Paddock as an online gathering space where players can move around, interact, arrange matches, and choose modes. Its capacity is not the same as the player limit for a match.
#1 Best Overall
- Ready, set, battle! Charge, boost, and spin to attack your rivals in Kirby Air Riders, a fast-paced vehicle action featuring Kirby and crew – only on Nintendo Switch 2.
- Riders at the ready! Pick your rider, pick your machine, and mount up for competition! Take on your rivals in frantic arena battles or fast-paced races on the ground and in the air. Use the Boost Charge button to brake and control your turns as your machine automatically fights for top speed. Fill your Boost Charge gauge as you drift around the bend and release it to trigger an explosive dash!
- Ready, set, battle! Charge, boost, and spin to attack your rivals in Kirby Air Riders, a fast-paced vehicle action featuring Kirby and crew – only on Nintendo Switch 2.
- Roam around Skyah to find machines, collect power-ups, and survive through unpredictable Field Events ranging from falling meteors to powerful boss battles. After five minutes of powering up, you and your rivals will compete in one of a whole host of different Stadium contests, each with its own objective. These include drag races, battle arenas, skydiving for points and more, so it helps to be ready for anything!
- Race to the finish in Air Ride If straightforward racing is more your speed, check out Air Ride: a frantic dash where you can race against five other riders, or compete online or via local wireless. Attack opposing riders, or trail close behind their wake, to gather up stars – and use the speed boost they provide to beat your rivals to the finish line!
How many people can play together?
The maximum depends on how players connect and which mode they choose. Nintendo Support lists these limits:
| Play format | Player limit |
|---|---|
| One system | Up to 4 players in each mode |
| Online Air Ride match | Up to 6 players |
| Online Top Ride match | Up to 8 players |
| Online City Trial match | Up to 16 players |
| Online Paddock | Up to 32 people gathered in the lobby; individual matches have lower, mode-specific limits |
| Local wireless | Up to 8 players, subject to mode-specific limits |
| LAN play | Uses multiple docked consoles and wired networking; the cited support information does not state one overall player limit |
These figures are Nintendo Support’s stated format and mode limits, not a guarantee that every mode supports the same group size. See Nintendo’s multiplayer instructions for the connection details.
Rank #2
- Charge, boost, and spin to attack your rivals in this vehicle action game featuring Kirby and crew
- Use the Boost Charge button to brake and control your turns as your machine fights for top speed
- Fill up your Boost Charge Gauge and then release to trigger an explosive dash
- Choose from a variety of riders like Kirby and Meta Knight, each with their own stats and Specials
- Zip around Skyah in City Trial: a free-for-all battle for 16 players online or 8 players via local wireless
Are Kirby Air Riders amiibo required?
No. Nintendo describes amiibo features as optional. Compatible amiibo can provide in-game rewards; the game-specific Kirby Air Riders figures can also represent their rider and machine, take part as figure players in certain modes, and be trained. Scan a figure again to save its progress. Nintendo’s UK product page describes the figures as two-part rider-and-machine combinations. Details are on Nintendo Support’s amiibo page and Nintendo’s UK game page.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
- Bandana Waddle Dee has joined Kirby and others on several adventures. Bandana Waddle Dee is small, but has a big heart—and a big spear that stings like a hornet! In the Kirby Air Riders game, Bandana Waddle Dee and others can ride machines like the Winged Star: an Air Ride Machine that is slow on the ground but soars gracefully in flight.
- In the Kirby Air Riders game, place this Bandana Waddle Dee amiibo on the Winged Star amiibo to create a Rider & Air Ride Machine combo. Tap the amiibo to train it up as a FP (Figure Player), which will gain FP levels and machine proficiency. If you have another Air Ride Machine amiibo, you can place Kirby amiibo onto the other machine to create a new Rider & Air Ride Machine combo and earn machine proficiency. Kirby will retain FP levels when placed and tapped with a different machine.
- Get cool in-game extras with amiibo accessories and compatible games. Just tap an amiibo accessory to the NFC touchpoint to enjoy fun in-game extra features in compatible games on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 systems.
- Depending on the game, they can grow and learn as they compete alongside you, give you access to special items, or let you customize your characters and your gameplay
- Discover a brand new way to interact with your favorite characters and games
Which way of playing fits your group?
- Playing alone: Road Trip is the story-driven option; the announced modes also include racing and arena-style play.
- Sharing one system: Nintendo lists support for up to four people on one system in each mode.
- Playing online: Choose a mode with your group size in mind. A 32-person Paddock is a gathering lobby, not a 32-player match.
- Using amiibo: Treat the figures as optional additions for rewards and figure-player features, not as a requirement for the game.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
