Metroid Prime

The Nintendo-owned Retro Studios is remodelling its HQ next year, VGC reports.

Famous for its work on the Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country franchises, Retro is currently involved in the production of Metroid Prime 4, a game it inherited when Nintendo decided to restart production in 2019.

The work comes with a price tag of $530,000 and will result in almost 40,000 square feet of custom office space, with Retro moving in by Summer 2021, according to a report published by US sales intelligence firm Intelligence360. Those of you with long memories will recall that Retro moved into its current premises almost a decade ago; it is understood that these premises will be retained despite the investment in the new office space.

Retro has been engaged in an aggressive recruitment drive for Metroid Prime 4, having most recently snapped up Rockstar veteran Marisa Palumbo as lead producer. Last month, God of War senior game designer Jon Marcella and Call of Duty director Dylan Jobe joined the team.

These new staffers join the likes of Bharathwaj ‘Bat’ Nandakumar (Call of Duty) Adad Morales (Battlefield Hardline), Bryan Erck (Shadow of the Tomb Raider), Nicholas Wilson (Borderlands 3), Mark Capers (New Super Lucky's Tale), James Beech (Crysis 3 and DC Universe Online), Stephen Dupree (Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze) and Kyle Hefley (Halo). That's quite a line-up.

Despite this massive influx of new talent, it was revealed last year that around half of Metroid Prime 3's development staff remain at Retro – although less than 10 of the 40-plus team which created the original Metroid Prime are still there.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Retro is remodelling its offices, rather than moving to new premises.

[source videogameschronicle.com]