Mario Kart 8's DLC includes Zelda's Link, Animal Crossing's Villager, and an F-Zero kart (gallery)

Nintendo only releases one Mario Kart game per platform, but this time around it’s decided to continue supporting one of its biggest releases with regular downloadable-content updates … and that means Link is finally getting in on the action.

The publisher’s U.K. website revealed that is working on two downloadable content packs for Mario Kart 8. One that will launch Nov. 14 and another that will debut in May — yes, eight months from now. Each pack will include three new racers, four new carts, and eight new tracks. You can pre-purchase both packs tonight for $8 each or get both as a $12 bundle starting tonight. If you go the $12 route, you’ll get immediate access to new colors for the Yoshi and Shy Guy characters in the racer. Nintendo confirmed that this is part of an effort to keep sustained interest for the Mario Kart game through next year. The publisher also noted that it only started working on this since content since releasing Mario Kart 8, which explains the wait.