Metroid Ravenous Officially Announced, Coming Early Next Year
Following rumors of an imminent reveal, Metroid Ravenous was officially announced during the Nintendo Direct on September 9, and is set to release quite soon. The iconic series was on extended hiatus before the Switch…
Following rumors of an imminent reveal, Metroid Ravenous was officially announced during the Nintendo Direct on September 9, and is set to release quite soon. The iconic series was on extended hiatus before the Switch era, but is now seeing regular releases after the acclaimed Metroid Dread, the return of the first-person GameCube spin-off in Metroid Prime Remastered, and the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
Metroid Ravenous was revealed alongside its release date, January 28, 2027, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. It will be the sixth mainline 2D Metroid title, and appears to follow shortly after the events of Dread. Per details from its reveal trailer, Ravenous sees Samus stranded on an unnamed moon after being attacked by a group of samurai-like robots. In classic Metroid fashion, Samus sustains a grave injury and loses most of her suit's functions.
Metroid Ravenous Launches January 28, 2027
This will be the first Metroid game to be exclusive to the Switch 2 after Dread's cross-generational launch. From 2021's Dread, this is a relatively short five-year wait between mainline installments; it took Dread 19 years to follow up on Metroid Fusion. Metroid Ravenous leaked earlier this year, revealing the game's title well ahead of its official reveal.
Its reveal trailer illuminates very little about the main plot hook, other than the staple concept of Samus losing all her powers in a new location. A few shots in the trailer show Samus in her Metroid Suit, which debuted near the end of Dread—the only concrete information on where Ravenous takes place in the series' chronology. Ravenous gameplay was shown to be an expected continuation from Dread, with various boss fights and areas teased throughout.
Samus "Feeds" on Enemies in Metroid Ravenous
Samus' Metroid DNA—gained from a vaccine to save her from the X Parasite in Fusion—manifesting again seems to be not only the main storyline carrying over from Dread, but also the foundation of a new gameplay element. The trailer shows Samus seemingly absorbing power from various foes, not unlike a Metroid, the eponymous bioweapons.
Samus is determined to escape this moon, "Even if I have to feed on my enemies to do so," she says. "It's eat or be eaten." This is notably more voice lines than is common for Samus. She spoke several times, briefly, in Dread, but was once again mostly silent in Prime 4. This has largely been an overcorrection from the much-derided Metroid: Other M, in which Samus' characterization is infamously terrible.
Metroid Ravenous' trailer may indicate that a better direction for Samus' character has been found, and that she'll begin speaking more in-game from here on out. One lingering mystery from Ravenous' announcement is the game's developer. MercurySteam took over for Dread after cutting its teeth on the Metroid 2 remake, and due to the fifth installment's success, many had hoped the studio would keep the reins for Ravenous. The trailer does not indicate whether MercurySteam is involved.
Arguably the most exciting takeaway is that Metroid Ravenous is launching in about four months. It's a refreshing turnaround after the years-long development troubles that surrounded Prime 4. Metroid Ravenous arrives January 28, and will continue Samus's increasingly enigmatic journey to discover more about the lost Chozo civilization.