"Kirby Air Riders" Finally Announced! Fans Rejoice at the 22-Year Miracle, Masahiro Sakurai's "Playing Dumb" Act Causes a Stir Too!

Nintendo finally announced "Kirby Air Riders" during the "Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 - 2025.4.2" broadcast on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
This title is a completely new entry in the "Kirby Air Ride" series, which was released for GameCube in 2003, marking its return after 22 years.
Simultaneously with the announcement, social media was flooded with shouts of joy, and fans quickly posted messages like "I can't stop crying," "Is this really not a dream?," and "Thank you, Nintendo."

22 Years of Waiting, "Kirby Air Riders" Finally Announced

"Kirby Air Ride," an action racing game with simple controls yet deep gameplay, is still loved by many fans today.
In particular, the "City Trial" mode, where you power up while exploring a vast map and then challenge the final race, was particularly popular for its unique brand of fun.
Even after more than 20 years since its release, many fans continue to hope for a sequel, and it becomes a trending topic whenever a Nintendo Direct is broadcast, as fans speculate, "Could this time be the new Air Ride title!?"

That legendary title is finally coming to "Nintendo Switch 2" as the new game "Kirby Air Riders"!!

Masahiro Sakurai: "Oh, this looks pretty good!"

Nintendo Official Channel

And alongside the announcement, attention also turned to director Masahiro Sakurai's "playing dumb" act.

Before the Nintendo Direct stream, Sakurai posted on his X account, "I don't know the announced content. (I'm an outsider to Nintendo) I'm looking forward to it!"
However, when "Kirby Air Riders," for which he served as director, was announced in "Nintendo Direct," viewers' reactions were swift.
Posts expressing surprise and laughter quickly appeared, pointing out, "But you're the one who made it!"

Additionally, after the stream, Sakurai posted "Oh, this looks pretty good!!" along with footage of "Kirby Air Riders," with a poker face.
In response to this, fans flooded social media with posts mixing playful retorts and heartfelt gratitude, saying, "Don't play dumb!", "Liar! But thank you!", and "We'll follow you for life!".

Kirby Races Again, Transcending 22 Years of Time

Currently, "Air Ride" continues to trend on X, and many fans are expressing their excitement.
Not only fans who have waited for many years, but also newcomers to the series are becoming interested, wondering "Why is this such a big deal?", attracting new attention to the series.

"Kirby Air Riders," which finally makes its return after 22 years.
Let's look forward to the day when Kirby returns to the world of racing again, bringing both nostalgia and fresh evolution!