Major New Metroid Dread Update Live, Patch Notes Released

By Marc Deschamps

During today's Nintendo Direct presentation, the company pulled back the curtain on a new update for Metroid Dread. Version 2.0.0 of the game is a fairly significant one, with the biggest addition being a pair of new modes: Rookie Mode, and Dread Mode. Rookie Mode offers an easier experience for Metroid newcomers, while Dread Mode amps up the difficulty in a big way! The game's free demo has also been updated, giving players more content to try. The update is now live on Nintendo Switch, and the company's official website has already been updated to include full patch notes, which can be found below:

Ver. 2.0.0 (Released February 9, 2022)

New Difficulties Available
  • "ROOKIE MODE" has been added to the game. This is a mode suited towards new players, with the following adjustments:
    • Dropped items from enemies now replenish greater amounts when picked-up.
    • Damage received from Boss attacks has been lowered.
    • Destructible Boss projectiles have been made easier to break than usual (excluding some attacks).
    • Increased number of missiles available when beginning game.
    • Made the finishing counters when defeating some Bosses easier to perform.
      • Selected when starting a New Game, and choosing "SELECT DIFFICULTY".
  • "DREAD MODE" has been added to the game. This is an extremely high-difficulty mode, where any damage taken from enemies or traps will lead to an instant Game Over.
    • Can be selected after clearing HARD MODE, when beginning a New Game, and choosing "SELECT DIFFICULTY".
New Details Added to Results Screen
  • Several new details have been added to the results screen that appears after clearing the game. These new details will not appear, however, for game files that were started prior to updating the game.
General Fixes
  • Fixed an issue where Samus sliding down a surface and touching a frozen enemy would force the game to close, after the message "The software was closed because an error occurred" appears.
  • Made several other fixes to improve playability and enjoyment of game.
Demo Update

The following updates to the "Metroid Dread DEMO" are also now available (Ver. 2.0.0).

  • The scale of the playable area has been expanded, with the Corpius boss fight now being available.
  • Added "ROOKIE MODE", a mode suited towards new players, where dropped items from enemies now replenish a greater amount, and bosses' attack power has been lowered.
    • Added "SELECT DIFFICULTY" options when beginning the demo.

While Metroid Dread released to strong praise last year, a lot of newcomers found the game's difficulty level to be too intimidating, particularly when it came to boss fights. The addition of Rookie Mode should be a big relief to those players, while Dread Mode will give long-time fans an even greater challenge. Nintendo has also revealed that a second free update will arrive in April, adding a Boss Rush option. For those that still haven't played Metroid Dread, there's never been a better time, and readers can catch up by checking out all of our previous coverage of the game right here!

Do you plan on checking out either of these modes in Metroid Dread? Are you happy with today's free update? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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