Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

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Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
The game's logo atop an object similar to a black hole, with silver color at the border and purple at its center: silver, bold text reading "METROID"; smaller silver text below it reading "PRIME 4"; and a large purple text on the bottom reading "BEYOND".
Developer(s)Retro Studios
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Producer(s)Kensuke Tanabe
SeriesMetroid
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch 2
ReleaseDecember 4, 2025
Genre(s)Action-adventure[1]
Mode(s)Single-player

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an upcoming action-adventure game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2. Players control Samus Aran, who uses a new motorcycle and psychic powers on the planet Viewros.

Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4 at E3 2017. It was reportedly initially developed by Bandai Namco Studios with Kensuke Tanabe, the producer of the previous Metroid Prime games. In 2019, unhappy with progress, Nintendo announced that development had restarted with Tanabe under Retro Studios, the developer of the previous Metroid Prime games. In June 2024, they announced the title Beyond and released the first trailer. Beyond is scheduled for release on December 4, 2025.

Premise

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Metroid
Story chronology
Main series in bold, remakes in parentheses
[2][3]

Samus Aran fights for survival on the planet Viewros and confronts foes including the rival bounty hunter Sylux.[4] Beyond introduces psychic powers, which can be used to operate mechanisms and guide shots, and a motorcycle, the Vi-0-La.[5][6] The Nintendo Switch 2 version allows players to use the Joy-Con controller as a mouse, similarly to a PC first-person shooter.[7]

Development

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Metroid Prime 4 is produced by Kensuke Tanabe, the producer of the Metroid Prime series. Nintendo announced it during the Nintendo Direct presentation at E3 2017, and confirmed it was not developed by Retro Studios, which had developed the previous Prime games.[8][9] Eurogamer reported that Prime 4 was being developed by Bandai Namco Studios in Japan and Singapore.[10] The Bandai Singapore staff included former LucasArts staff who had worked on the canceled Star Wars 1313.[10]

In 2018, the Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aimé, said Metroid Prime 4 was "well into development" and "proceeding well".[11][12] Nintendo did not show it at E3 2018; Trinen said they would share more when they "had something that would wow people".[13]

In January 2019, the Nintendo EPD general manager, Shinya Takahashi, announced that development had restarted under Retro Studios with Tanabe. Takahashi said the previous studio had not met Nintendo's standards and that the decision to restart was not taken lightly.[14] In October 2020, Retro posted a job advertisement seeking storyboard artists to work on "emotional" and "interesting and innovative scenes that elevate the narrative".[15] Video Games Chronicle took this as an indication of a more cinematic focus.[16]

Release and promotion

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Nintendo released the first trailer and the title Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on June 18, 2024.[8][17] It showcased similar gameplay to previous Metroid Prime games, with Samus exiting her gunship, exploring a forest world, using her morph ball ability, scanning a Space Pirate and encountering the bounty hunter Sylux, who first appeared in Metroid Prime Hunters.[18] Nintendo also announced that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is scheduled for release in 2025.[17] It was nominated for Most Anticipated Game at the Game Awards 2024.[19]

Nintendo released a second trailer in a Direct presentation on March 27, 2025, introducing the forest planet Viewros setting, new enemies, the Lamorn race and Samus's psychic powers.[5] In a Direct presentation on April 2, Nintendo announced a version for Nintendo Switch 2, with enhanced visual resolution, the option to use 4K at 60 frames per second or 1080p at 120 frames per second, and optional mouse controls when using the Joy-Con 2 controllers.[20] On September 12, Nintendo released a new trailer showcasing a desert environment and Samus's motorcycle and announced the release date, December 4.[21] Amiibo figures were also announced.[6]

References

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  1. ^ ""Metroid Prime 4: Beyond"". Nintendo. Nintendo of America, Inc. Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  2. ^ Quick, William Antonio (June 23, 2021). "Every Metroid Game In Chronological Order". TheGamer. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  3. ^ Parish, Jeremy (August 5, 2015). "Page 2 | "I was quite surprised by the backlash": Kensuke Tanabe on Metroid Prime Federation Force". VG247. Retrieved February 15, 2023. First off, [Yoshio] Sakamoto is behind the main series, taking care of all of that, the timeline. I'm in charge of the Prime series. I had the conversation with him to decide where exactly would be a good spot for me to stick the Prime universe into that whole timeline and the best place would be between Metroid II and Super Metroid. As you know, there are multiple titles in the Metroid Prime series, but everything takes place in that very specific point. Metroid Series go down the line, but with the Prime Universe, we have to stretch sideways to expand it as much as we can in that specific spot.
  4. ^ "Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch". YouTube. Nintendo of America.
  5. ^ a b Cripe, Michael (March 27, 2025). "Metroid Prime 4 gameplay reveals Samus' new psychic abilities on the planet Viewros". IGN. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  6. ^ a b LeBlanc, Wesley. "Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hits Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch this December". Game Informer. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  7. ^ Switzer, Eric (April 16, 2025). "Mouse mode is great, but you have to play Metroid Prime 4 with motion controls". TheGamer. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  8. ^ a b McFerran, Damien (June 13, 2017). "Metroid Prime 4 Confirmed For Nintendo Switch, But Retro Studios Isn't Involved". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  9. ^ Reeves, Ben (June 13, 2017). "Metroid Prime 4 Is Being Developed By "A Talented New Development Team"". Game Informer. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Phillips, Tom (February 9, 2018). "Yes, Bandai Namco is working on Metroid Prime 4". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  11. ^ Reiner, Andrew (July 1, 2018). "Reggie Fils-Aimé Sheds Light On The Future Of Switch And His Progress In Breath Of The Wild". Game Informer. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  12. ^ Doolan, Liam (November 15, 2018). "Reggie Says Metroid Prime 4 Is Well Into Development". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  13. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (June 12, 2018). "Nintendo On Metroid Prime 4's E3 2018 Absence". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Kato, Matthew (January 25, 2019). "Nintendo Restarting The Development Of Metroid Prime 4". Game Informer. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  15. ^ Robinson, Andy (October 13, 2010). "Metroid Prime 4 job ad mentions 'emotional scenes' and 'cinematic pillars'". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  16. ^ Robinson, Andy (October 13, 2020). "Metroid Prime 4 job ad mentions 'emotional scenes' and 'cinematic pillars'". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Lyles, Taylor (June 18, 2024). "Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Gameplay Finally Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  18. ^ Lane, Gavin (June 21, 2024). "Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — release date, news, everything we know about the new Metroid game". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  19. ^ Maas, Jennifer (November 18, 2024). "Game Awards Nominations 2024: Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Lead With 7 Nods Each". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on November 18, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  20. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (April 2, 2025). "Some Nintendo Switch games are getting Nintendo Switch 2 upgrades, including Breath of the Wild and Metroid Prime 4". IGN. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  21. ^ Nightingale, Ed (September 12, 2025). "Metroid Prime 4: Beyond finally gets release date, plus Samus on a motorbike". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
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