Although a popular and long running Nintendo franchise,Metroidhasn’t seen as many game releases in recent years as other series likeMarioandZelda. WhileMetroid Prime 4was revealed years ago, development has been a rocky one, switching developers and getting rebooted. Many fans assumed the title would finally be ready to be shown at E3 2021 this year, but as it turns out, the upcoming FPS was only given a brief mention.
However, Nintendo wasn’t about to let Metroid fans go empty handed once again as it had another surprise announcement to make. For years, rumors have been swirling about a game known asMetroid Dread, though Nintendo never gave much information regarding the 2D action title. Years ago, reports indicated thatDreadhad been outright canceled, dealing another blow to Metroid fans. However, as it turns out, those reports were indeed false asMetroid Dreadis not only real, it launches in just a few months.
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During its E3 2021 presentation, Nintendo officially revealedMetroid Dread, combining CG with actual in-game gameplay. In it, Samus appears to have a brand new suit made up of whites and blues, as she explores a new area. She also appears to be hunted by mechanical creatures known as E.M.M.I, though the trailer does show off a few new tools to help her escape them. At one point in the trailer, she uses a camouflaged ability called the Phantom Cloak to avoid being scanned by the enemy robot.
As expected, longtime producer Yoshio Sakamoto is once again involved and mentioned that the original idea forMetroid Dreadstarted about 15 years ago, though the team wanted to wait for the technology to catch up. Sakamoto revealed that the E.M.M.I. patrol specific zones and once Samus has been detected, they’ll relentlessly chase her even through doors. In fact, Samus' weapons do no damage to them, so getting captured is essentially an end state that players will want to avoid.
Outside of the E.M.M.I. threat,Metroid Dreadretains and refines much of what made the classic 2D games likeSuper Metroidinto fan favorites. Players are encouraged to explore the environment to find new upgrades and gadgets to explore deeper. A number offeatures fromMetroid: Samus Returnsis back againas well including the melee counter and free aim feature, letting Samus have full control over where she shoots.
While the reveal ofMetroid Dreadlikely came as a surprise to many, though leakers have been mentioningthe return of a new 2DMetroidgame for months now. In fact, back in January, an insider specifically mentioned that not only a new 2D game was happening, but it would be releasing in 2021 as well.
Metroid Dreadlaunches on June 27, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
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