After another Nintendo Direct no-show, Metroid Prime 4 hopefuls worry they'll be waiting until the Switch 2

Metroid Prime 4 skipped another Nintendo Direct show yesterday, causing speculation that the sequel won’t arrive until the Switch 2 releases (or whatever the Big N's next console gets called).

For the uninitiated, Metroid Prime 4 was first announced six whole years ago as a joint venture between Nintendo and Bandai Namco. But in early 2019, before the pandemic slowed everything down, the publisher announced that the much-anticipated sequel would restart development because Bamco’s version had “not reached the standard we seek in a sequel to the [series].” Since then, Metroid Prime 4 has been in production at Retro Studios, the company that developed the three previous Prime games.

One ResetEra post now asked the worrying question: “So… Is Metroid Prime 4 a Switch 2 game now?” Another asks: “So we’re all in agreement that Metroid Prime 4 is at least cross-gen?” The forums were filled with (surprisingly) calm and courteous responses to show that, yes, everyone was in agreement - Samus probably won’t show up again until Nintendo’s next console.

Some replies speculate that Metroid Prime 4 might be stuck in The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's spot, meaning it could be a next-gen launch title that also releases on our current Switch consoles. Even more worryingly, one commenter joked that it would be “cross-gen [between] Switch 2 and Switch 3.” Don’t manifest that into existence, please and thank you.

All that speculation comes from a recent report that said Nintendo had been showing off the new console to developers at Gamescom. The company is apparently planning to launch the console in the second half of 2024. Regardless, the news drought led to some very funny and self-deprecating memes earlier this year to mark four years since we last heard about the elusive game. At least we got a stunning remaster for the first Metroid Prime, which hopefully bodes well for the sequel’s good looks.

While we wait for Samus’ comeback, check out our upcoming Switch games guide to tide yourself over.