Released in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube, Metroid Prime was a leap forward for the series, bringing the classic 2D side-scrolling action platformer to the 3D world. While the newly launched Metroid Dread is currently breaking sales record, some fans of the franchise are still wondering about the status of the fourth installment under the Prime name that's currently in development. Yesterday marked 1,000 days since any announcements were made about the elusive title, and now fans are looking for any sort of update.
Back in January 2019, manager of Nintendo planning and management, Shinya Takahashi, gave news about the development of Metroid Prime 4, saying that it was being delayed as work had started over via a new studio. Yesterday, Rebecca Stone, a writer for Twinfinite, posted screenshots on Twitter from that announcement, as well as an image showing how long it has been since that official announcement. Comments under the tweet were from people who were hoping that more updates were on the horizon, or had all but given up on a fourth game ever coming out.
Given that Metroid Dread spent many years in development, with the initial idea beginning in the early 2000s but work on the actual game starting four years ago, a couple of other users have said that it could be some time before a Metroid Prime 4 sees the light of day. Given that next year marks the tenth anniversary of the first Metroid Prime's release, a new game in the series would be a nice treat for the fans. However, neither Nintendo nor the developer has given any further announcements, as of this article going live.
While the elusive game started off in the care of Bandai Namco Studios, 2019 saw it switching hands to the first Metroid Prime, as well as the modern Donkey Kong Country developer Retro Studios. The company was still hiring story boarders towards the end of last year, which suggests the initial draft may have not even been written at that point. While the fourth game is now being made by the original studio, starting from scratch just under three years prior means that delays are perhaps to be expected for a little while longer. And it seems as though fans want answers.
At this stage, many are still reeling from the might of the latest game, but Dread's success does not mean people have forgotten about Metroid Prime 4. Players are being kept placated somewhat by the new game, but when Prime 4 does finally emerge, it will have a lot to live up to given how long people have been waiting.
Metroid Prime 4 is in development by Retro Studios. No release date has been announced.