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Nintendo's Metroid Prime sub-series of the legendary Metroid saga is no stranger to universal acclaim. So when the Japanese publisher announced the upcoming first-person Metroidvania to be delayed indefinitely, fans were understandably upset.
However, recent updates from the developer might suggest that something's coming. The much-anticipated game is currently under development at the Austin-based Retro Studios, which recently updated their Twitter banner to a new artwork. The same was seen on ArtStation, in an advertisement from the studio announcing that they're hiring artists.
Will Nintendo finally drop new Metroid Prime 4 info?
The artwork is interesting because it is related to the latest Prime game. The protagonist, Samus Aran, can be seen standing in the center, and the POV seems to be looking down a corridor. The blue tint may suggest a visor due to its borders, but it also ties in to the color scheme Nintendo has established since the first teaser.
The game was originally announced at E3 2017, the same year the Nintendo Switch launched. After reportedly being unhappy with Bandai Namco's work on the project, the development was handed back in 2019 to the studio that worked on the past three entries - Retro Studios.
The official Retro Studios Twitter rarely makes any updates. Most of their tweets aim to hire new members for various positions on the team. It's now been three years since the game was under construction.
Add in the fact that they're hiring for an artist as well, this suggests that they could be gearing up to showcase promotional art for Metroid Prime 4. Which in turn could mean a reveal or announcement of some sort is coming.
Their latest tweet from Jan of this year was hiring for a Tools Engineer and a Technology Engineer, so it likely hasn't crossed the finish line just yet. Perhaps a year more would explain why the studio is making moves now.
The franchise has traditionally been 2D, including the latest Metroid Dread. Meanwhile, the Prime series sees bounty hunter Samus Aran explore various planets in the galaxy and deal with threats from Space Pirates and other local dangers. The player explores atmospheric 3D environments in the first person. Metroid Prime 4 is in development exclusively for the Switch.
