Metroid Ravenous Confirmed for January 28, 2027 on Switch 2 as MercurySteam Returns to the 2D Series

Nintendo has announced Metroid Ravenous, a new 2D action adventure starring Samus Aran and developed once again by MercurySteam in collaboration with Nintendo EPD. The game was revealed during the September 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct and is confirmed for January 28, 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2.

MercurySteam previously developed Metroid: Samus Returns for 3DS in 2017 and Metroid Dread for Switch in 2021, both of which were widely praised for bringing the 2D Metroid formula into modern hardware. Ravenous is set well after the events of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, suggesting it sits later in the series timeline than either previous MercurySteam title. The studio's return keeps the 2D Metroid subseries in the hands of the team that modernized it most recently.

Nintendo confirmed both a standard edition and a special edition for the launch window, alongside an amiibo line. The presentation also opened with a reveal trailer showing Samus exploring dense alien environments with the kind of ability-driven progression MercurySteam's previous 2D Metroid games are known for. Specifics on the special edition contents and the amiibo figure design were not detailed in Nintendo's press summary of the broadcast, which pointed players to Nintendo Store and the eShop for full purchase and pre-order information.

Metroid Ravenous is one of three Switch 2 first-party titles that received release timing during the same Direct. Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy was dated for November 12, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition was dated for December 3. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Definitive Edition was dated for February 25, 2027. With Ravenous arriving in late January, the game slots in just before Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave on September 17 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake on November 5 as one of the headlining Switch 2 exclusives for the first quarter of 2027.

The Direct itself ran roughly 45 minutes and was followed by a Nintendo Treehouse: Live segment showcasing gameplay of select titles. The full broadcast and Nintendo's official announcement post are available on the Nintendo Direct page and the Nintendo newsroom.