MercurySteam Confirmed as Developer Behind Metroid Ravenous

MercurySteam, the Spanish studio behind Metroid Dread, is developing Metroid Ravenous, the new 2D Metroid game Nintendo revealed during its September 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct. The game is set to launch on January 28, 2027, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, and is being made by MercurySteam together with Nintendo EPD.

What we know about Metroid Ravenous

Ravenous is a side-scrolling action-adventure that sends bounty hunter Samus Aran to explore an alien moon. Nintendo’s reveal highlighted several new abilities, including warping through walls, running on water and siphoning energy from enemies. The parry-style counter that played a big part in Dread’s combat is also returning.

The game had been rumoured before the Direct after it surfaced on Brazil’s age rating board, and MercurySteam’s involvement was widely expected given its recent history with the series. Price details and a full feature breakdown were not part of the initial reveal.

The reveal trailer also suggested a more aggressive portrayal of Samus than in earlier entries, set on a moon filled with hostile creatures that the new energy-siphoning ability appears designed to exploit. As with Dread, exploration is expected to revolve around finding upgrades that open previously blocked paths, the core loop that defines the series.

MercurySteam’s track record

Based in Madrid, MercurySteam first made its name with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow in 2010. Its partnership with Nintendo began with Metroid: Samus Returns on 3DS in 2017, a reimagining of Metroid II. That led to Metroid Dread on Switch in 2021, the first new 2D Metroid story in almost two decades, which earned strong reviews and became one of the best-selling games in the series.

Handing Ravenous to the same team signals that Nintendo wants to build on Dread’s formula rather than start over. It also keeps the series’ 2D and 3D sides running in parallel, following Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which arrived in December 2025.

Why it matters

For Metroid fans, a second MercurySteam game in five years is a sign that 2D Metroid is now a regular part of Nintendo’s lineup rather than a rare event. Dread showed the studio understands the series’ pacing, exploration and boss design, so Ravenous starts with a level of trust most new entries do not have.

For Switch 2 owners, a late January release gives the console a major first-party game early in 2027. Players who have not tried Dread have a few months to catch up before Ravenous arrives, which is worth doing given how closely the two games appear to be connected in design. Dread is still available on the Nintendo eShop and runs on Switch 2 through backward compatibility.