Metroid Ravenous: Nintendo confirms a new 2D installment on Switch 2

After months of total silence on the franchise since Metroid Dread, Nintendo has finally come out of the woodwork. Metroid Ravenous has just been unveiled for Switch 2, as we told you in a past article about a leak. The series is therefore returning in side-scrolling format, a format that has proven itself over the decades.

We find Samus Aran there, ambushed by unknown assailants and stranded on an unknown moon. The pitch emphasizes a survival tone that's quite unusual for the franchise: hunting down bosses, recovering an arsenal, and above all exploiting newly awakened "Metroid instincts" to devour enemies before they do the same to her. A more aggressive and organic direction than the usual formula, which changes things on paper.

Nintendo has also confirmed an amiibo collection at launch (Samus and Chozo Statue), plus a third Samus amiibo (Metroid Suit) reserved for a Special Edition with a steel case. The game is planned to run exclusively on Switch 2, which suggests more advanced technical ambitions than on the previous generation.

For the trailer and the exact release date, head over to our dedicated articles. Still, the announcement comes at a time when the Metroid community was hoping for something new - the confirmation has been fairly well received, even though the name "Ravenous" is raising a lot of questions among fans on the forums.