🚀 Metroid: Ravenous Leak: Is MercurySteam Returning to 2D Action?

Samus Aran might be about to make her biggest comeback in years.

A leaked rating listing has pointed to a brand-new 2D Metroid title called Metroid Ravenous.

And the timing couldn't be more perfect.

Nintendo is holding a full Direct today, September 9, 2026, focused specifically on Switch 2 games arriving this winter.

If the leak holds up, this could be the exact moment Samus finally gets her next 2D adventure revealed.

🎯 The Trend: A Leak That Started in Brazil

This story didn't start with a trailer or a teaser.

It started with a government paperwork slip-up.

According to ScreenRant's coverage of the leak, a listing titled Metroid Ravenous briefly appeared in Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security ratings database on July 1, 2026.

The entry was pulled quickly.

But not before fans grabbed screenshots.

Quick facts on how the leak surfaced:

🗓️ First spotted: July 1, 2026
🇧🇷 Source: Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security
🔞 Age rating: 12+ (attributed to violence, weapons, blood, and death)
📅 Listed production year: 2026
🎮 Speculated platform: Nintendo Switch 2

That rating description alone tells us something important.

Violence, weapons, blood, and death is exactly the tone Metroid Dread carried back in 2021.

🎬 41 Minutes of Footage Already Reviewed

This isn't a paper filing for some vague, early-stage concept.

According to Games.gg's breakdown of the rating details, Brazilian journalist Felipe Lima noted the rating was based on roughly 41 minutes of actual gameplay footage.

That's a meaningful detail.

Ratings boards typically review real, playable footage to assign a classification. Forty-one minutes suggests a game that's already well into development, not a project just getting off the ground.

Quick note: A ratings board leak doesn't guarantee an imminent release. But it strongly suggests the game exists in a playable, advanced state. Nintendo has stayed silent on the leak so far, which is standard practice and shouldn't be read as either confirmation or denial.

🔧 The MercurySteam Question

Here's where things get complicated.

The obvious candidate to develop a new 2D Metroid is MercurySteam, the Spanish studio behind both Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Dread.

MercurySteam's track record with the series:

🕹️ Developed Metroid: Samus Returns for Nintendo 3DS
🌟 Developed Metroid Dread for Nintendo Switch, the franchise's best-selling entry
🔁 Established the studio as Nintendo's go-to partner for 2D Metroid specifically

That history makes MercurySteam the natural pick.

But according to Tbreak's reporting on the studio's situation, MercurySteam implemented layoffs in May 2026 after their most recent project, Blades of Fire, failed to meet sales expectations.

Complications clouding MercurySteam's involvement:

📉 Layoffs followed the underperformance of Blades of Fire
😓 Employees have publicly complained about a toxic work culture and 10-hour workdays
❓ No developer has been officially confirmed for Metroid Ravenous
🏢 It remains unclear whether Nintendo would partner with MercurySteam again, use a different studio, or handle development internally

So while MercurySteam is the speculative favorite, their recent struggles genuinely put that assumption in question.

📅 A December Release Date Already Leaked?

If Ravenous really is coming, it might be arriving faster than anyone expected.

According to ScreenRant's report on a leaked EB Games poster, retail marketing material allegedly listed Metroid: Ravenous with a December 10, 2026 release date.

That timeline would be aggressive by any standard.

Why a December release raises eyebrows:

⏱️ It would mean just four months between announcement and launch
🎄 It slots directly into the critical holiday shopping window
📦 Nintendo rarely announces major first-party titles with such a short runway
🧩 It would need to compete for attention against other confirmed winter Switch 2 releases

That said, retail leaks like poster mockups aren't always accurate. Release dates on unconfirmed marketing material can shift, get corrected, or turn out to reference placeholder information entirely.

📺 Why Today's Direct Is the Perfect Moment

Nintendo didn't pick today at random.

The company confirmed a full 45-minute Direct for September 9, 2026, specifically focused on Nintendo Switch 2 games arriving this winter.

According to G2A's preview of the broadcast, the Metroid Ravenous rumor carries the "strongest breadcrumb" heading into the show, thanks specifically to that leaked Brazilian rating.

Why the timing lines up so well:

🗓️ Nintendo traditionally uses its September Direct to detail games for the months ahead
❄️ Today's Direct is explicitly framed around winter Switch 2 releases
🎮 A December 2026 release, if the EB Games leak is accurate, fits neatly into that winter window
🕹️ This follows a separate Zelda 40th anniversary Direct that aired just one day earlier, on September 8

Nintendo also holds Gamescom appearances in August most years, giving upcoming titles hands-on time with the public. That window has already passed for 2026, making today's Direct the next logical venue for a reveal.

🕹️ What a New 2D Metroid Could Mean for the Genre

If Ravenous is real, it fills a gap Metroid fans have felt for years.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond released in 2025, giving the first-person side of the franchise its moment. But the Switch 2 still hasn't received a dedicated 2D entry of its own.

Why fans have been anticipating this specifically:

🎮 Metroid Dread released back in 2021 on the original Switch, nearly five years ago
🏆 Dread remains the best-selling entry in the franchise's history
🔀 Nintendo has historically split development between MercurySteam (2D/2.5D) and Retro Studios (first-person Prime titles)
💻 Switch 2 hardware could let a new 2D entry push faster gameplay, richer environments, and new mechanics beyond what Dread achieved on the original console

A sequel or successor to Dread on stronger hardware is exactly the kind of release that could anchor Nintendo's holiday lineup, assuming the leak proves accurate.

🔍 Nintendo's History With Pre-Direct Leaks

This isn't the first time a ratings board has beaten Nintendo to the punch.

Government classification systems around the world, including Brazil's, South Korea's, and Australia's, have leaked upcoming Nintendo titles before official reveals on multiple occasions over the years.

Why these leaks tend to be more reliable than social media rumors:

📋 Ratings submissions require actual playable builds, not just concept art or pitch documents
🏛️ Government databases are official records, not fan speculation or unverified insider claims
⏳ The process typically happens close enough to release that games rarely get shelved after reaching this stage
🌍 Multiple regional ratings boards sometimes confirm the same title independently, adding further credibility

That pattern is part of why the gaming community treated this specific leak more seriously than the usual wave of Direct-adjacent rumors.

A vague "insider claims" post carries far less weight than a government document that had to be quickly deleted after going live by mistake.

Combine that credibility with today's perfectly timed, winter-focused Direct, and it's easy to understand why Metroid Ravenous became the single most-watched rumor heading into the show.

🏁 Final Takeaway

Metroid Ravenous sits in that frustrating but exciting space between rumor and confirmation. The Brazilian ratings leak, the 41 minutes of reviewed footage, and the timing of today's winter-focused Direct all point toward something real being close to a reveal. Whether MercurySteam is actually behind it remains genuinely uncertain given the studio's recent layoffs, and that December release date leak should be treated with real caution until Nintendo says otherwise. Still, if there's ever been a moment for Samus to make her comeback, a Direct built entirely around this winter's Switch 2 lineup is about as perfectly timed as it gets.

❓ FAQ

What is Metroid Ravenous? An unannounced Metroid game that leaked through a Brazilian government ratings listing on July 1, 2026, widely speculated to be a new 2D entry following Metroid Dread.

Is MercurySteam confirmed to be developing it? No. MercurySteam is the speculated developer given their history with Samus Returns and Dread, but recent layoffs and studio issues make their involvement uncertain.

When might Metroid Ravenous release? A leaked EB Games poster suggested December 10, 2026, though this is unconfirmed and should be treated cautiously.

Will Metroid Ravenous be revealed at today's Nintendo Direct? It's widely speculated, given the Direct's focus on winter Switch 2 games, but Nintendo has not officially confirmed the title exists.