It has been more than 15 years since the Nintendo Wii got Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, bringing a supposed end to Samus Aran’s first-person adventures. However, Metroid Prime 4 was announced in 2017, instantly becoming one of the Nintendo Switch’s most anticipated games despite fans only knowing the name and the logo. In the years since, we have heard very little about the game’s progress, though it now appears to be on track for a 2025 release again. Here is what we know about Metroid Prime 4 so far.
Release date
Nintendo has not revealed a specific release date for Metroid Prime 4, but it has narrowed it down to a release window. At the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, the company showed a new trailer that debuted the new title, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and announced it’s coming in 2025. Prior to that, Nintendo had simply stating that the game was “in development” during E3 2017 before later offering an apology for the wait back in 2019, and then subsequently missing that window as well.
What we know so far
In the grand scheme of things, the real answer is “almost nothing,” but there are a few things we’ve come to understand about Metroid Prime 4’s development.
According to reports, Metroid Prime 4’s development initially began under Bandai Namco rather than an internal Nintendo studio, but Nintendo was unhappy with the game’s quality at the time. It announced early in 2019 that development was restarting, this time via Retro Studios, the American studio behind the first three Metroid Prime games. Producer Kensuke Tanabe, who also served in this role on the first three games and Metroid Prime: Hunters, is back, as well. While these developments bode well for the game’s final quality, it doesn’t give us any indication of when it will be ready to be shown again.
As for what Metroid Prime 4 will be about, once again we don’t have a whole lot to go off of. At the end of Metroid 3: Corruption, Dark Samus and Phazon were both defeated, leaving Samus ready to move on to the next big challenge the universe decides to throw her way.
And while the latest trailer doesn’t tell us much about the story, it did show Samus showing up to a planet that appears to be a warzone between different alien factions. The trailer showed series mainstays like scanning and lock-on targeting for enemies, along with a mysterious villain who appeared to be flanked by two metroids.
To catch up on the story, be sure to read our Metroid Prime story primer for all the details on where Samus has been in this series, along with some speculation about where it could go next.
Platforms
This was one of the few aspects of Metroid Prime 4 that seemed certain in the past, that Metroid Prime 4 was destined to appear on Nintendo Switch. Now that it has a 2025 release date, it is possible that Metroid Prime 4 will be a swan song for the Switch or a cross-generation release between Switch and Nintendo’s next console.
Trailers
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Metroid Prime 4 Announcement Video – E3 2017
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Metroid Prime 4 Beyond – Official Announcement Gameplay Reveal Trailer
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