Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Nintendo Switch OLED
Image: Nintendo Life

Since the Metroid Prime 4 announcement way back at E3 2017, fans have been salivating at the prospect of jumping into Samus' space suit again for a sequel to 2007's Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, but it's been a bumpy ride so far for the highly anticipated new Metroid game, a first-person follow-up to Retro Studio's celebrated Metroid Prime Trilogy.

Below we've chronicled everything we know, from the Metroid Prime 4 release date (or window) to the story so far, including its announcement, the subsequent delay, Retro Studio's return — every detail that's been revealed. We'll be updating this article as fresh info comes, so check back for all the latest Metroid news.

So, while we wait for more juicy deets, let's take a look at everything we know.

What's the latest Metroid news?

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Sylux
Image: Nintendo

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is coming out in 2025. Nintendo confirmed a release date window during the Nintendo Direct, plus a logo and the full title.

Nintendo is also on the cusp of releasing news regarding the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 via a dedicated Direct presentation. Prime 4 could launch on Switch after the new console releases, of course.

The first Metroid Prime 4 gameplay was also revealed at the June 2024 Nintendo Direct in a two-minute trailer. The second batch of gameplay came via a new trailer during Nintendo's March 2025 Direct (both trailers below).

What do we know about the new Metroid game?

Nintendo been slow to reveal details about the new Metroid Prime, despite making its existence public seven years ago.

The last Metroid Prime 4 update we had was in the March 2025 Nintendo Direct. In addition to the final name — Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — a new gameplay trailer showcased the new world of Viewros, upon which Samus discovers new enemies and some mysterious psychic abilities.

Metroid Prime 4 Trailers

The two-minute trailer shows Samus's ship arriving on a planet suffering an orbital attack. The bounty hunter exits the ship and we see clips of her crossing terrain, scanning an injured Space Pirate, and infiltrating an installation using her Morph Ball ability before the arrival of Sylux — a bounty hunter who first appeared in Metroid Prime: Hunters — accompanied by a pair of Metroids. The trailer finishes with a shot of Samus that pulls back and pans across a lush forestal world with a picturesque waterfall and an enormous tree towering above.

The second trailer shows Samus beginning her adventure on planet Viewros. We get a glimpse of her returning scan visor and a reveal of some interesting psychic abilities. We can see her use these to manipulate objects, open doors, and even alter the trajectory of her shots. New and returning enemies crop up alongside a mysterious race called the 'Lamorn', with the trailer ending with a new suit reveal.

Who's developing Metroid Prime 4?

Metroid Prime 4 is being developed by Retro Studios, the same company responsible for the previous Prime games.

This came after a false start with Bandai Namco Singapore initially developing the project (see below for the full story about the Prime 4 restart).

Looking at the comings and goings of talent to and from Retro Studios gives us an indication as to the staff involved in the project, but nothing has been confirmed. Approximately half of the development team who worked on the last entry in the proper Prime series are reportedly still at Retro, with fewer than 10 of those having worked on the first Metroid Prime game — the main creatives and project leads left years ago (or have sadly passed away).

Of course, the delay severely impacted the rollout of information. Nintendo is reluctant to discuss any project until it can deliver concrete details, footage, and other information to its audience, and the early reveal of the in-development game was intended to placate Metroid fans wondering why Metroid: Samus Returns was on 3DS rather than Switch. That plan backfired somewhat with the delay resulting in years of radio silence.

On the plus side, the existence of both Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered softened the blow to fans eagerly awaiting Metroid Prime 4 news.

When was Metroid Prime 4 announced?

The first Metroid Prime 4 announcement was made on 13th June 2017. The game was revealed — without the 'Beyond' subtitle — with a logo at E3 2017.

Metroid Prime 4
The teaser Metroid Prime 4 logo from 2017

Is there any Metroid Prime 4 concept art?

Nintendo hasn't released any concept art or key art for the game yet, and we haven't seen any leaks from the project, either. A change to Retro Studios' Twitter banner got Metroid concept art fans excited, though.

Has the Metroid Prime 4 logo been revealed?

Yes! The logo was shown off in the most recent Nintendo Direct…

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Logo
The Metroid Prime 4: Beyond logo — Image: Nintendo

Will Metroid Prime 4 launch on 'Switch 2'?

MP4: Beyond is confirmed to be launching for the current Switch, although that doesn't preclude the possibility of a cross-generation release when the "Switch successor" eventually arrives, either. At the very least, it'll be playable on Switch 2 via backwards compatibility.

It's certainly not beyond the realms of possibility that it becomes a cross-generational title bridging two consoles similar to how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild did with Wii U and Switch. We'll be watching developments with great interest.

Are the other Metroid Prime games on Switch?

Super Metroid

Yes, Metroid Prime Remastered launched on Switch in 2023. And there's been plenty of rumour and speculation suggesting Prime 2 and 3 are coming, although no official confirmation.

Here's a list of all seven Metroid games on Switch, including all the non-Prime games:

In 2019 leak group LeakyPandy believed that both a Super Metroid remake and an HD update of Wii's Metroid Prime Trilogy were in development, in addition to Metroid Prime 4, although LeakyPanda's track record is patchy. We do now have a remaster of the original Metroid Prime on Switch, but its direct sequels are still in question at the time of writing.

If Nintendo wants to whet the appetite of Metroid fans and potentially onboard new players who may have missed the original games across GameCube and Wii, bringing the entire Prime Trilogy to Switch is the most obvious option. Having the entire series on Switch would be a dream come true for many fans, and would act as a great 'apology' following the Metroid Prime 4 delay.

Getting all three Prime games on Switch seems like an open goal, but will Nintendo tap it in? Fingers crossed.

Metroid Prime 4 - The long development story

We start back in 2017. In a move that went against Nintendo's general rule of only discussing games releasing in the coming year, the company revealed a logo for Metroid Prime 4 way back at E3 2017, just three months after the release of Switch. Confirming that the game was in development, it soon came to light that Retro Studios, the development company that made the original trilogy of games on GameCube and Wii, was not involved (at that time).

Regardless of who was involved, the very existence of the game created ripples of excitement among series fans. The following February it was revealed that Bandai Namco Singapore was working with Nintendo on Metroid Prime 4. The company has co-developed (or assisted development of) several Nintendo games in the past including entries in the Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. franchises, so it was hardly a surprise that Nintendo might turn to them for assistance with Metroid.

Come E3 time, Nintendo made it clear that Metroid Prime 4's announcement the previous year was "a departure from [its] usual approach" of focusing on "near-term stuff" and would not be appearing in E3 2018's Nintendo Direct broadcast.

Despite its no-show, Reggie reassured us in July that development of Metroid Prime 4 was "proceeding well" and clarified that its unusually early reveal was intended to reassure Metroid fans that, in addition to Metroid: Samus Returns on 3DS, there was also a Metroid game in development for Switch; the 'new system'.

A photo of the Nintendo of America president wearing a Metroid shirt sent the rumour mill into overdrive, but in November 2018 he once again assured fans that the game was well into development. We had nothing to worry about!

Or so we thought. In a classic 'Please Understand' moment, an official statement and video apology from Nintendo confirmed that the existing Metroid Prime 4 had been shut down and the project would be restarted with the involvement of original Metroid Prime development studio, Retro.

So, why was Nintendo’s first attempt at Metroid Prime 4 cancelled? Shinya Takahashi, Senior Managing Executive Officer at Nintendo, explained that "the current development progress has not reached the standard we seek in a sequel to the Metroid Prime series."

It was very disappointing news, to be sure, although the fact that Retro Studios was back in the frame helped mitigate ire from fans. Soon, job listings started cropping up indicating that Retro would be starting from scratch rather than using any work already done by Bandai Namco. In June 2019, Retro was still seeking an Art Director for the project, with ex-Halo character modeller Kyle Hefley reported to have joined the studio by October, and ex-DICE art director Jhony Ljungstedt moved from EA's studio to Retro - potentially working on Metroid Prime 4, although that remains unconfirmed.

A rumour that environmental work on the game might be outsourced to external providers in order to make up for 'lost time', coupled with the trickle of hiring news that had leaked, indicated that there was still a long way to go with Metroid Prime 4 development. During its E3 2021 Nintendo Direct — the one where Metroid Dread was revealed — the company said it was still "working hard" on Prime 4, but didn't provide any further updates.

Finally, on 18th June 2024, Metroid Prime 4 gameplay was revealed for the first time during the Nintendo Direct, plus a logo and the full title: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Following this, another gameplay trailer was revealed during a Nintendo Direct on 27th March 2025.

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Samus

Ultimately, despite our disappointment and impatience to continue Samus' first-person adventures on Switch, most Metroid fans will console themselves with that famous quote attributed to Shigeru Miyamoto: "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad". Far better that Samus arrives a little late to the party in fine form than bursting in half-ready with a boot missing and her hair caught in her visor, no?

Remember, we'll update this page with more information about the newest Metroid game as and when it arrives — we're all dying to know the final Metroid Prime 4 release date (beyond the nebulous '2025'), so keep 'em peeled for future Metroid announcements.

If you're eager for more marvellous Metroid content, feel free to check out our ranking of the best Metroid games of all time.