In September 2026, Nintendo drew back the curtain on its next chapter, revealing Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond as early pillars of the Switch 2's identity. The return of MercurySteam — the studio that quietly revived Metroid with Dread in 2021 — signals that Nintendo is not merely launching hardware, but making a deliberate argument about what kind of experiences belong at the frontier of its new platform. A pair of emojis from a Spanish game studio became, in their small way, a promise.
MercurySteam Teases New Metroid Project Amid Nintendo Direct Announcements
The studio's emoji-based confirmation suggests they're keeping specifics close
Mark
So MercurySteam posted emojis and that's how we know they're making this game? That seems thin.
Mimi
It does on its surface, but in the context of a Nintendo Direct announcement, it's a pretty standard move. The game was officially revealed during the presentation. The emoji post is just the developer joining the conversation.
Luke
Right, but we should be clear: Nintendo announced the game. MercurySteam's social media post is them acknowledging it, not them independently confirming it. Those are different things.
Mark
Fair. So what do we actually know about what the game is?
Mimi
We know it exists, it's coming to Switch 2, and MercurySteam is developing it. We know there are multiple editions available for preorder and Amiibo figures are being made.
Luke
But we don't know the genre, the gameplay style, whether it's 2D like Dread or something else entirely. We're inferring based on what MercurySteam has done before, but that's not confirmation.
Mark
Why would Nintendo hold back those details if the game is already up for preorder?
Mimi
Probably because they want to control the reveal schedule. They'll likely show gameplay footage at a future Direct or during a dedicated presentation. Right now they're banking on the franchise name and the developer's reputation to drive preorders.
Luke
Which is a bet that players trust MercurySteam enough to buy without seeing what they're actually making. That's interesting—it suggests Nintendo thinks Dread built enough goodwill that the studio's name alone is a selling point.
Mark
And the Amiibo figures—are those just merchandise, or do they tie into the game somehow?
Mimi
That's not specified in what's been announced. Nintendo often makes Amiibo that unlock cosmetics or bonus content in games, but we don't have confirmation of what these figures do yet.
Luke
So there's a whole layer of the product we simply don't know about. The preorder page probably has more detail, but from the announcement itself, it's sparse.
The Pulse
- Nintendo's September 2026 Direct landed two major franchise announcements at once — Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond — staking early ground for the Switch 2's core gaming identity.
- MercurySteam, rather than issuing a formal statement, confirmed their return to the Metroid universe through a ninja and heart emoji on social media, leaving fans to decode the message themselves.
- The mystery of what Ravenous actually is — 2D successor to Dread, or something bolder built for more powerful hardware — remains deliberately unanswered, with the studio holding specifics close.
- Preorders are already live across multiple editions, and Amiibo figures are in the pipeline, suggesting Nintendo is treating Ravenous as a flagship release rather than a quiet franchise entry.
In September 2026, Nintendo drew back the curtain on its next chapter, revealing Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond as early pillars of the Switch 2's identity. The return of MercurySteam — the studio that quietly revived Metroid with Dread in 2021 — signals that Nintendo is not merely launching hardware, but making a deliberate argument about what kind of experiences belong at the frontier of its new platform. A pair of emojis from a Spanish game studio became, in their small way, a promise.
At a Nintendo Direct in September 2026, the company unveiled several titles destined for Switch 2, with two standing out immediately: Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond. The Metroid announcement carried particular weight given who is behind it.
MercurySteam, the Madrid-based studio responsible for Metroid Dread's celebrated 2021 comeback, is returning to the series. Their confirmation came not through a press release but through social media — a ninja emoji and a heart, posted in the Direct's wake, that the gaming community quickly read as a winking acknowledgment of their involvement.
What the game actually looks like remains an open question. Dread was a 2D side-scroller that brought the series back to its origins; whether Ravenous follows that path or takes advantage of Switch 2's hardware in new directions hasn't been revealed. MercurySteam appears to be saving those details for a later moment.
Nintendo, meanwhile, is moving with confidence. Preorders for Ravenous are already open in multiple editions, with Amiibo figures accompanying the release — the kind of full product treatment the company reserves for titles it expects to matter. Announcing Metroid and Kirby together in the Switch 2's early window suggests Nintendo is deliberately courting its core audience from the start, and MercurySteam's proven track record makes their name alone a reason for fans to take notice.
Nintendo held a Direct presentation in September 2026 that pulled back the curtain on several upcoming titles for its next-generation hardware. Among the announcements was Metroid Ravenous, a new entry in the long-running sci-fi action series, alongside a fresh Kirby game called Kirby and the World Beyond. Both are headed to Nintendo Switch 2.
The reveal of Metroid Ravenous carried particular weight because of who is making it. MercurySteam, the Spanish studio behind the well-received Metroid Dread, is returning to develop the new installment. The company didn't issue a formal press statement in the immediate aftermath of the Direct, but they did post on social media—a pair of emojis, a ninja and a love heart, that fans and gaming outlets interpreted as a playful confirmation of their involvement with the project.
The timing of the announcement positioned Metroid Ravenous as a flagship title for the Switch 2's library. Nintendo has already opened preorders for the game, offering multiple editions for players to choose from. The publisher is also releasing accompanying Amiibo figures tied to the game, extending the product ecosystem in the way Nintendo has done with major releases for years.
What remains unclear from the initial announcement is the scope of what MercurySteam is building. Metroid Dread, released in 2021, was a 2D side-scrolling adventure that returned the series to its roots after years of 3D experimentation. Whether Ravenous follows that template or charts a different course—perhaps embracing the Switch 2's more powerful hardware for a different visual or gameplay approach—has not been detailed. The studio's emoji-based confirmation suggests they're keeping specifics close for now, likely saving deeper reveals for future Nintendo presentations or their own developer updates.
The broader context matters here: Nintendo is in the early stages of building momentum for Switch 2, and announcing major franchise entries like Metroid and Kirby simultaneously signals confidence in the hardware's appeal to core players. MercurySteam's track record with Dread—a game that was both commercially successful and critically praised—makes their involvement a selling point in itself. Fans of the series have reason to pay attention when this studio's name is attached to a new Metroid project.
Notable Quotes
MercurySteam confirmed their involvement with Metroid Ravenous through social media emojis rather than an official statement— MercurySteam (via social media)
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