Metroid Dread: The Surprising Saga Behind Its Long-Awaited Nintendo Switch Reveal

The announcement of Metroid Dread at E3 2021 rankled the Nintendo community—not because of disappointment, but because the reveal of this long-elusive title brought closure to speculation and rumors that had persisted for well over a decade.

For years, Metroid Dread had been whispered about as one of Nintendo's most mysterious and sought-after projects, its existence doubted by even the most avid franchise followers until it was officially unveiled for the Nintendo Switch. Much of the fervor surrounding Metroid Dread can be traced to a notable reference buried within 2007’s Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Nintendo Wii.

Developed by Retro Studios, this title included an in-game message stating, “Experiment status report update.

Metroid project 'Dread' is nearing the final stages of completion.” This cryptic line ignited speculation that a new 2D Metroid sequel was secretly in development, a belief further fueled by rumors and leaks surrounding internal documents and comments from series producer Yoshio Sakamoto, who reportedly pursued a follow-up to Metroid Fusion. However, fans were in for a surprise when recent interviews shed new light on these events.

Appearing on the Kiwi Talkz YouTube channel, Bryan Walker—who produced both Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption—reiterated that the infamous Dread reference was a complete coincidence.

“I honestly stopped keeping track of how often fans showed up at our front door in Austin, asking about the Dread project,” Walker recalled.

He explained that on multiple occasions, passionate Metroid Prime fans visited Retro Studios, hoping for a studio tour or information to win bets, but they were only allowed access to the lobby.

Walker emphatically stated, “We’ve clarified numerous times that the Dread message was accidental.

As much as people want to believe otherwise, we simply weren’t being that subtle.” In retrospect, it’s clear that Retro Studios had no direct involvement with Metroid Dread.

After wrapping up their work on Metroid Prime 3, the Austin-based studio shifted to developing two acclaimed Donkey Kong Country games before moving on to Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, currently in development for Nintendo Switch.

As for Metroid Dread, its eventual release was helmed by Spanish developer MercurySteam in collaboration with Nintendo EPD, combining fresh talent with veteran oversight to deliver a critically acclaimed addition to the franchise.

Released on October 8, 2021, Metroid Dread quickly became a commercial and critical success, setting sales records for the series on the Nintendo Switch platform and earning praise for its refined gameplay and faithful continuation of the 2D Metroid storyline. For those interested in a deeper dive into the behind-the-scenes history of Metroid, the full Bryan Walker interview on Kiwi Talkz discusses topics ranging from development budgets and memorable boss fights to future directions for the Metroid Prime series.

As Metroid Dread stands tall among Nintendo’s best-selling Switch titles, its remarkable journey from myth to milestone serves as a testament to the enduring power of both fan passion and developer determination.

Metroid Metroid Dread Nintendo Switch Nintendo EPD MercurySteam Nintendo Switch