Mario Strikers: Battle League demo – Start date & how to play

Nathan Warby
Mario in Mario Strikers: Battle League

Looking to lace up your boots in Mario Strikers: Battle League early? You’re in luck. The third entry in Nintendo’s football mash-up has a free demo for players to try – here’s everything you need to know.

Mario Strikers: Battle League, the long-awaited third game in the series, gives fans the opportunity to take to the pitch alongside their favorite Nintendo characters, including Mario himself, Bowser, and Donkey Kong.

After the somewhat mixed reception to 2021’s Mario Golf: Super Rush, players might be hesitant to splash out on another Mario sports title. Luckily, you can try the new game out before you buy. Ahead of its launch on Friday, June 10, 2022, gamers can have a free run out with the Mario Strikers: Battle League demo.

Here are the key dates and how to gain access.


Contents


Mario Strikers Battle League characters in a team
Battle League sees classic Mario characters play the beautiful game once again.

Mario Strikers: Battle League demo start date

The Mario Strikers: Battle League ‘First Kick’ demo is available from Friday, May 27, 2022, two weeks out from the game’s full release. In the trial, players will be able to run through the tutorials and gain an understanding of how to play.

Once they’ve got to grips with the rules and the different abilities, they can also take part in some friendly matches against the AI to really see the game in action.

Then, on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 June, the servers will go live, sporadically, so that you can team up with friends and compete online.

Online play will be available in one hour slots, at the times listed below:

  • Saturday 4th June: 04:00 – 05:00 BST
  • Saturday 4th June: 12:00 – 13:00 BST
  • Saturday 4th June: 20:00 – 21:00 BST
  • Sunday 5th June: 4:00 – 5:00 BST
  • Sunday 5th June: 12:00 – 13:00 BST
  • Sunday 5th June: 20:00 – 21:00 BST

How to play Mario Strikers: Battle League demo

Mario Strikers Battle League gameplay
Mario Strikers: Battle League retains the frantic football the series is known for.

The Mario Strikers: Battle League demo is free to download from the Nintendo eShop for anyone with an active Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Simply open up the eShop and search for Mario Strikers, and you’ll be able to download and play the demo in minutes. We’ve included a step-by-step guide below:

  1. Boot up your Switch and head to the Nintendo eShop
  2. Search for ‘Mario Strikers: Battle League’
  3. Select the free demo and download
  4. Hit the pitch!

If you don’t currently have online membership for the Nintendo Switch, don’t worry. From Thursday, June 2, all users will be able to redeem a Nintendo Switch Online 7-day trial.

This even applies if you’ve burned through a trial in the past, meaning every player has the opportunity to test Mario Strikers: Battle League free of charge, including the online section.


Before you dust off the old football boots, be sure to take a look at our other pages for some of the biggest upcoming games:

The Elder Scrolls 6  | GTA 6 | Overwatch 2 |  Assassin’s Creed Infinity | God of War: Ragnarok | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | DokeV | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Sonic Frontiers | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch  | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Haunted Chocolatier

About The Author

Nathan is a Games Writer at Dexerto and Charlie INTEL, primarily covering FIFA and Call of Duty, as well as general gaming news and guides. After leaving university with a degree in Sports Studies and a master's degree in Magazine Journalism, he took on a role as a local news reporter before moving into games media. You can contact Nathan by email at nathan.warby@dexerto.com.