Metroid Ravenous Developer Hints at Secrets Nintendo Won’t Reveal

Nintendo has a peculiar tendency to keep the identities of its development teams under wraps. You might expect the company to proudly announce that the creators of the critically acclaimed Metroid Dread are hard at work on its sequel, Metroid Ravenous, but this information surfaced through unofficial channels.

The studio behind Dread, MercurySteam, shared the announcement trailer for Metroid Ravenous on LinkedIn, complete with a smiling emoji, effectively confirming their involvement in the project.

Additionally, the developer posted a mysterious, emoji-laden message on their official X account, sharing the Metroid Ravenous trailer alongside a ninja and heart emoji.

Metroid Ravenous was officially revealed during a recent Nintendo Direct, just a month after Brazil’s game rating board inadvertently leaked its existence. The trailer showcases intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran once again stranded on a perilous alien world, but this time the tables have turned: the monsters are now the prey. Having transformed into a human-Metroid hybrid (it’s a long story), our formidable heroine utilizes her energy-absorbing powers to consume her foes, which explains the game’s intense title. While Dread focused on Samus being hunted by relentless robots, its sequel appears to take a different approach.

Metroid Ravenous is set to launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on January 28, 2027.

MercurySteam, established in 2002 and based in Madrid, has a history of developing notable titles. Before Metroid Dread, they remade Metroid: Samus Returns, which revitalized the often-overlooked second game in the series. The studio also contributed to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and its sequel. Their most recent release, Blades of Fire, was an action-adventure title that received mixed reviews and fell short of sales expectations.

Since the launch of Metroid Dread, MercurySteam has faced some controversy. Shortly after the game’s release, it was revealed that many developers were omitted from the credits. In September 2025, the Spanish labor union CSVI-CGT accused the company of exploitative work practices. Reports indicated that MercurySteam management enforced mandatory overtime with 10-hour workdays, limited internal communication, eliminated remote work options, and imposed restrictions on vacation days. Interviews with several employees revealed a toxic work environment during the development of Blades of Fire, with management allegedly using intimidation tactics and retaliating against those who took sick or parental leave.

Metroid Ravenous marks the next 2D installment in the beloved series.