Nintendo’s latest mobile game, the upcoming Mario Kart Tour, will be a free-to-start title.
Isao Moriyasu of DeNA stated on February 8th that Mario Kart Tour to be released in 2018 will not be a free-to-play title but will be a free-to-start game. Nintendo’s other free-to-start title it Super Mario Run where you get the first world free and then have to purchase the full game to unlock the rest of the content.
While Nintendo plans and develops the application, DeNA handles the back end of server, infrastructure, analysis, etc.
No word on more of a release date other than 2018.