Nintendo Renews Trademarks for Surprising Metroid Games

Right now, 2025 is positioned to be a big year for Metroid fans. More than eight years after it was first announced, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally coming out for Nintendo Switch, and it will also be launching on Nintendo Switch 2. That would be big enough news on its own, but a pair of trademark renewals could hint at some future plans. As noticed by Insider Gaming, Nintendo has renewed the trademarks to Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Metroid Prime Hunters. Since neither of those games is available on Switch, it could hint at plans for rereleases or remasters.

It should be noted that trademarks are renewed all the time by companies, and it does not necessarily mean that anything new is happening; Eternal Darkness fans can attest to the fact that Nintendo has renewed the trademark in the past, but continues to let that series languish. However, Metroid fans have some reason to be cautiously optimistic about these particular renewals. Thus far, Nintendo has remastered the original Metroid Prime on Switch, but no other entries in the series. This could suggest that other games are now being prioritized.

While the idea of a Metroid Prime Hunters remaster might sound unusual compared to a game like Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (which fans have long requested), it actually would make some sense. The DS game introduced the character Sylux, who will be the central antagonist in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. After playing a major role in Metroid Prime Hunters, Sylux returned in a brief teaser at the end of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. If Nintendo wanted to get players reacquainted with the villain ahead of the launch of Metroid Prime 4, it would make sense to bring these two games to modern platforms.

A remaster of Metroid Prime Hunters would give Nintendo a perfect opportunity to rectify some of that game’s shortcomings. While the title was critically praised when it launched back in 2006, some fans took issue with the DS control scheme. A remaster on a more powerful platform with standard controls could hold a lot of appeal to fans of the Metroid series, particularly those that skipped out on the game when it first released.

RELATED: Metroid Prime 4 Hands-On: A Stunning Showpiece for Nintendo Switch 2

Until we get some kind of announcement from Nintendo, readers should take all of this with a grain of salt. It’s possible that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the only planned release for the series right now, and this is all wishful thinking. Still, the timing of these trademark renewals is pretty interesting, and it’s fun to speculate about what Nintendo might be planning. Traditionally, Nintendo Direct presentations have been held in the month of June, allowing the company to lay out its plans for the rest of the year. It remains to be seen whether that will happen next month, but if it does, that would be the perfect place for Nintendo to announce some remaster plans.

How would you feel about remasters of these two Metroid games? Do you think we should read anything into these trademarks? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!