Summary
At the June 2024 Nintendo Direct,Metroid Prime 4: Beyondhas finally re-emerged seven years after its initial announcement. The long-awaited sequel to 2007’sMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionhas had a notoriously rocky path to release, withdevelopment being entirely restarted in 2019when the project returned to the originalPrimeseries developer, Retro Studios. The wait appears to have been worth it, though, as theMetroid Prime 4: Beyondtrailer is a promising first glimpse of Samus' next mission.
TheMetroid Prime 4: Beyondannouncement trailer premiered at the Nintendo Direct on July 06, 2025, almost exactly seven years after it was first teased at E3 2017, promising a release window of 2025.The trailer sees Samus landing her iconic ship at a Galactic Federation Research Facilitythat appears to be under attack from Space Pirates.
The trailer showcases a bit ofMetroid Prime’s signature first-person gameplay, with lock-on combat and Samus' trusty scanner to provide details on creatures and the environment. A Morph Ball track makes an appearance right before the game’s mysterious villain is teased, seemingly in control of a couple of Metroids.The final shot of the trailer teases the as yet unknown planetMetroid Prime 4: Beyondtakes place on, with massive trees growing out of a dense jungle.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Trailer Looks Very Promising
Brief Overview Of Metroid Prime 4 Gameplay
Although theMetroid Prime 4: Beyondannouncement trailer is brief, it runs the gamut of the series' gameplay, perhaps to assuage fans worried about the long development cycle. It begins with a shot familiar to thePrimeseries: Samus emerging from the top of her spaceship before jumping to the ground to begin this latest mission. The lock-on combat, Morph Ball segment, and scanner are all touchstones ofMetroid Primegameplay, creating a trailer that isn’t necessarily astounding, but sincerely comforting after radio silence for so many years.
TheMetroidseries has begun making something of a comeback, and appears poised forgreater success on the Nintendo Switch 2, or whatever the new console happens to be called.Metroid Dreadwas an incredible modernization of the series, and served as the even-longer-awaited sequel to 2002’sMetroid Fusion. Samus' most recent outing wasMetroid Prime Remastered, however, which revamped the subseries' genesis, perhaps offering a glimpse into the two-stick controls that will be utilized inBeyond. Although unconfirmed,Beyond’s 2025 release window could potentially see it launching on the Switch’s successor console.
Beyond’s announcement trailer ultimately leaves a lot of questions – there is no hint at new abilities, its villain is almost entirely an enigma, and the planet the game appears to take place on doesn’t yet have a name. This trailer, more or less, confirms thatMetroid Prime 4is well along in development and is not any significant departure from its predecessors, including the ever-nefarious Space Pirates' return.Metroidappears to be well and truly back, andMetroid Prime 4: Beyondis set to be a return to form.
Source:Nintendo of America/YouTube
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Metroid Prime 4 is the long-awaited sequel to 2007’s Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Initially developed by Bandai Namco, the original development studio, Retro Studios, returned to work on the title after Nintendo rebooted development in 2019. The game is still slated for release on the Nintendo Switch.
