For the past three decades, Cow has quietly roamed the pastures of Moo Moo Farm and Moo Moo Meadows. But now, she’s stepped into the spotlight as one of the most beloved characters in *Mario Kart World*, capturing the hearts of fans and developers alike. When we sat down with *Mario Kart World* producer Kosuke Yabuki for an exclusive interview, we made sure to ask about the bovine sensation that's taken the game by storm.

“Thank you for that question about Cow,” Yabuki said with a smile—easily one of the best interview openings we’ve ever witnessed. “The decision to include Cow was something we considered carefully. We thought it would make people happy—and they did. Honestly, though, the public reaction exceeded all our expectations. It was a wonderful surprise. Thank you.”

Yabuki’s astonishment at Cow’s popularity mirrors what Nintendo of America’s Bill Trinen shared with us earlier—he admitted their internal expectations for Cow were "perhaps not as big as the cow has become."

Cow’s journey to becoming a playable character is as charming as the character herself. As revealed in a previous *Ask the Developer* segment, it was a simple “silly sketch” of Cow driving a kart that sparked the idea. That playful concept quickly won over the team, including Yabuki, who then gave the green light for her inclusion. I asked him how the team expanded from there to what are now known as “NPC Drivers,” featuring characters like Snowman, Penguin, Swooper, and more.

“I have to say, adding in Cow really opened the floodgates for us. Once you've got a character like that, you start thinking, ‘Well, maybe we should just add who we can.’ That’s when the designers got really excited. Once they realized all these characters were up for grabs, Penguin came in, Pokey came in—one after another. These new character designs kept coming in so fast that it's actually a little hard for me to remember which specific character followed Cow next. Sorry about that! Honestly, I remember approving the concept for Cow, and then the next day, there were ten other character proposals on my desk.”

Of course, there’s also a slightly darker twist to this otherwise heartwarming tale. One of *Mario Kart World*'s new features is Dash Food, which players collect from Yoshi’s drive-thru stops scattered across the open world. During a recent preview event, IGN’s Brian Altano noticed something unusual: Cow was eating items traditionally made with beef, such as steak kabobs and hamburgers. Naturally, we had to ask Yabuki—what gives?

Yes, Cow CAN eat steak in Mario Kart World. pic.twitter.com/qN5PZ9IIM4
— IGN (@IGN) April 4, 2025

“Sorry, that’s top secret,” Yabuki replied with a chuckle. “I can’t say.”

So the mystery remains—not only about Cow’s dietary choices but also whether Diddy Kong will appear in his newly redesigned form in *Mario Kart World*. On that note, Yabuki simply said, “I’m afraid I can’t say anything at this time.”

But soon enough, many of *Mario Kart World*'s remaining secrets will be uncovered. With just two days left until the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its flagship title, excitement is at an all-time high. For more insights, check out our final hands-on preview of *Mario Kart World*, where we praised the core racing experience but remained skeptical about the Free Roam mode. And don’t forget to read our thoughts on the $10 launch title, *Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour*.