Metroid Prime 4: Everything We Know

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 we do know it was essentially restarted back in 2019 as development moved from one studio to another. At this point, even its target platform is up in the air. But to paint a complete picture of what is public, here is what we know about Metroid Prime 4 so far.

Release date

Nintendo has not revealed a release date for Metroid Prime 4, simply stating that the game was "in development" during E3 2017 before later offering an apology for the wait back in 2019. During this second update, Nintendo's Shinya Takahashi said it would be missing its internal release target for the game, but since we don't know what that is, it's unclear when we can expect Metroid Prime 4. Nintendo's earnings reports continue to only list Metroid Prime 4's release as TBA.

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.

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. However, as rumors intensify of a Switch successor to be announced this year, it's unknown if those plans have been scrapped. It's now possible that Metroid Prime 4 will be a swan song for the Switch, a cross-generation release between Switch and Nintendo's next console, or even a new console exclusive.

Trailers

If this tease showing the logo counts as a trailer, then this is the first official trailer for Metroid Prime 4. What you see is what you get. Will this be the final logo? Will there be a subtitle for the game? All that has yet to be confirmed.

Is there multiplayer?

Without confirmation of other features, it's completely unclear if Metroid Prime 4 will feature multiplayer. This question is made even murkier because, of the Metroid Prime games released so far, several have multiplayer, while others do not. While tacked-on multiplayer is becoming less common in today's big-name game releases, right now it seems impossible to rule out.

Preorder details

You cannot currently preorder Metroid Prime 4. Once preorders are live at retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, and Target, we will update this section to detail any bonuses they offer, though Nintendo games typically limit these to physical goodies rather than in-game content.