Half Of The Core Metroid Prime 3 Team Is Potentially Working On Metroid Prime 4

VGC analysis suggests that around half of the core team that worked on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the last mainline entry in the series, is still working at Retro Studios today.

Around 50 developers worked full-time on the 2007 Wii shooter, of which around 27 still remain according to LinkedIn.

This includes four contractors that were given permanent roles and five of Metroid Prime 3's 11 designers. In an announcement earlier this year, Nintendo said it had decided to "restart development from the beginning" on Metroid Prime 4. The sequel was revealed at E3 2017 but has been quiet ever since. Producer Kensuke Tanabe called in Retro to take over development on the project from its original, unannounced developer--rumoured to be Bandai Namco--so it's safe to assume former Metroid Prime alums will be working on the new game.

Most of the lead creators from the series have moved on, however. Mark Pacini, the lead designer for all three Metroid Prime games, left Retro in 2008 to found Armature Studio. The developer put out ReCore in 2016, and has since collaborated with Epic Games in providing development support for Fortnite: Save the World. A further seven creators departed Retro to join Bluepoint Games, which has developed the recent remake of Shadow of the Colossus, and also released remastered bundles such as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.

Retro has been hiring for Metroid Prime 4 ever since Nintendo announced the studio's work on the project.