Metroid: Ravenous

A new 2D Metroid was the last thing anyone expected out of the September Nintendo Direct, and it might be the most important one in years. Metroid Ravenous is the direct sequel to Metroid Dread, developed once again by MercurySteam alongside Nintendo EPD, and it launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on January 28, 2027.

The pitch is a first for the series: Samus can now eat her enemies. Her newly awakened Metroid instincts let her devour foes to sustain herself, which flips the traditional Metroid loop from "conserve your resources" to "hunt or be hunted." It's eat or be eaten -- literally, this time.

The Twist: Samus Is the Monster Now

The official setup: Samus Aran is ambushed by unknown attackers and marooned on an unfamiliar moon. With her usual arsenal damaged or gone, she has to navigate a maze of corridors, hunt down powerful bosses, and lean on something new -- Metroid instincts she never asked for.

In practice that means aggression is the resource. Beams, missiles, and melee all feed the loop, but devouring your foes is what keeps you alive. That's a genuinely new identity for a series that has spent forty years teaching you to hoard missiles and play it safe. Dread ended with Samus carrying Metroid DNA that made her dangerous to everything around her, and Ravenous looks like the direct consequence of that ending. The enemies on display so far lean into it: Chozo Soldiers, Elite Chozo Soldiers, and the classic Torizo statue guardians are all returning threat types, alongside a mysterious Mawkin Chozo character and the "Space Ninjas" Nintendo is keeping close to the vest.

What We Know So Far

• Announced September 9, 2026 in the September Nintendo Direct, with the reveal trailer showing classic side-scrolling exploration in a 2.5D presentation.
• MercurySteam is back at the helm with Nintendo EPD co-developing -- the same pairing behind Metroid Dread, which sold over three million copies and finally gave the 2D series its modern breakout hit.
• The Metroid instincts mechanic lets Samus devour enemies, a first for the series and the clearest sign Ravenous is building on Dread's DNA-bomb ending rather than resetting it.
• It's a Switch 2 exclusive. No Switch 1 version was announced, and the game supports TV, tabletop, and handheld modes with HDR and 120 Hz output on compatible TVs.
• Special Edition includes the physical game, a SteelBook case, and the Samus (Metroid Suit) amiibo -- the suit that played the starring role in Dread's ending.
• Three amiibo launch alongside the game: Samus, the larger-than-standard Chozo Statue, and the Special Edition's Samus (Metroid Suit). Amiibo functionality details are still TBA.
• It nearly leaked early: the title surfaced in a Brazilian Ministry of Justice document on July 1, 2026, over two months before the Direct made it official.

Where to Play

Metroid Ravenous launches January 28, 2027, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. Digital pre-orders are live on the Nintendo eShop at $59.99, with pre-loading available ahead of launch day. The Special Edition (game + SteelBook + Samus Metroid Suit amiibo) will be available at retail while supplies last -- and given how quickly Nintendo exclusives sell through, pre-ordering early is the safe move.