A new Nintendo rumor has shed light on when Metroid Prime 4 will finally be released on Nintendo Switch. Originally announced all the way back in 2017, Nintendo later revealed in early 2019 that development on the fourth mainline Metroid Prime title was being rebooted completely. With Retro Studios now taking over the project, Nintendo went dark on Metroid Prime 4 and since hasn’t said anything about the title publicly whatsoever. Luckily, for those who have been dying to know more, it sounds like MP4 could soon make a reappearance of some sort.
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When Will Metroid Prime 4 Release?
According to the latest blog of an insider that goes by Zippo, Nintendo is planning to launch Metroid Prime 4 on Nintendo Switch at some point in summer 2024. Zippo, who has had accurate Nintendo scoops in the past, noted that development on MP4 is beginning to “wrap up” at Retro and that this will be one of the last notable first-party games to come to Switch before Nintendo’s next console releases. Additionally, it was said that whenever Nintendo chooses to next show off Metroid Prime 4 to fans, it will announce the game’s release date as well.
“The game has had a long development cycle of about five years now, and things are finally starting to wrap up,” Zippo wrote in their blog. “I’ve finally gotten word that the game will release in the summer of next year, which will make it the last ‘major’ title for the Switch ahead of the release of Nintendo’s next console in the second half of next year. Additionally, I’ve heard that internally, Nintendo has been very cautious about showing the game off until it was in a near complete state. […] When Nintendo finally shows the game off, it will come with a date.”
Given that this is a rumor, it’s important to stress that what has been outlined should be taken with a grain of salt for the time being. That being said, the timeline at play here is one that would make quite a bit of sense. Given that work on Metroid Prime 4 restarted in 2019, a five-year development cycle resulting in a 2024 release is very feasible. Not to mention, Nintendo has also been looking to reinvigorate interest in Metroid Prime as a series recently as it let loose Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch earlier this year.
Metroid Prime 2 Remaster Could Also Be Coming Soon
In addition to Metroid Prime 4, it has also been reported in recent months that a new remaster of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes could be coming to Switch soon. If true, this would once again show Nintendo’s renewed emphasis on Metroid Prime and may once again point to a release of MP4 next year. A remaster of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has also previously been requested by fans and could potentially hit Switch as well.
Currently, all rumors and past habits from Nintendo point to a new Direct presentation taking place at some point in September 2023. Assuming that a Direct does happen in the next few weeks, there’s a decent chance that we could see something new from Metroid Prime at that time. Until then, though, all that Metroid fans can continue to do is hope and pray that this series makes a comeback in a big way over the course of the coming year.
