Nintendo used a Wednesday Nintendo Direct to announce Metroid Ravenous, the next 2D entry in the Metroid series, releasing exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on January 28, 2027. The announcement trailer is narrated by Samus Aran, who describes being attacked on a moon by a mysterious, hooded group of enemies and dropped into a subterranean structure she must escape, fighting a variety of enemies along the way.
Multiple outlets note strong similarities to 2021's Metroid Dread, including Samus appearing in the chitinous green armor she earned at the end of that game, and a robotic, EMMI-like enemy group pursuing her. Nintendo has not confirmed a developer, but Polygon, GamesRadar+, and Eurogamer all point to MercurySteam, the studio behind Dread and Metroid: Samus Returns, based on the visual style and counter-heavy combat shown in the trailer.
A key new feature is an energy-draining or feeding mechanic: Samus is shown repeatedly absorbing energy from enemies, accompanied by the line "It's eat or be eaten." GamesRadar+ notes this energy appears to fill a meter in the upper left of the screen, though it's unclear if that represents health or a separate power resource. Polygon and Eurogamer both suggest Samus's suit changes appearance based on enemies absorbed, potentially granting new abilities such as a green energy attack shown in the trailer.
Kotaku highlights that Samus talks at length throughout the trailer, which is notable since she has been largely silent in past games aside from a brief exchange in Chozo language at the end of Dread; Kotaku says this is her most extensive narration since Metroid: Other M. IGN also covered the announcement, though details from that source were not accessible.
Several outlets note that Ravenous was leaked earlier this year via a Brazilian ratings board listing, which included content descriptors for violence and what IGN describes as "light sexual content," prompting some curiosity about what that might entail. A special edition of the game will include a SteelBook case and amiibo figures, including one depicting Samus in a new form, plus separate Samus and Chozo statue amiibo, all releasing alongside the game on January 28, 2027.
Outlets differ slightly on Dread's sales figures: Kotaku states it sold 3 million copies, making it the best-selling Metroid game, while Eurogamer says it sold 2.9 million copies worldwide in its first six months, outpacing Metroid Prime. Both Kotaku and Eurogamer cite Dread's commercial success and critical acclaim as reason for optimism around Ravenous, with Eurogamer noting Martin Robinson's 5/5 review of Dread, and Polygon quoting its own review calling Dread the Metroid game it had been waiting for.