Metroid Ravenous seemingly leaked by ratings board

The next Metroid game may be coming out sooner than nearly anyone expected. As spotted by a member of the Famiboards forum, Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security (which handles the country’s ratings) appears to have leaked the next entry in the series, Metroid Ravenous.

Assuming the rating details are accurate, there are two big surprises: the first is that Nintendo is pushing Metroid this hard after years of neglect (there was an 11-year gap between Metroid: Other M and Dread), and the second is that the next entry in the series is apparently set to release in 2026. Brazilian journalist “Necro” Felipe Lima added that the documents were based on about 41 minutes of gameplay and that the game’s recommended age rating of 12 was due to its violence (weapons, blood, death) and light sexual content.

Considering that Nintendo released Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in 2025 after years of development hell, it seems likely this is another 2D entry in the series rather than a 3D one. Another hint about the game’s content is its name — Ravenous — which implies it could be a direct follow-up to the horror-themed Metroid Dread. The new game’s subtitle could allude to the parasitic Metroids, a new threat, or, given the events of Dread, perhaps it applies to bounty hunter Samus Aran herself. Metroid Dread came out nearly five years ago, which is certainly enough time to create a sequel.

It should be noted that after working on Dread, MercurySteam was mired in controversy over a toxic workplace culture. Current and former employees alleged thatit enforced 10-hour workdays and fired employees who took planned time off. The studio recently laid off employees after its most recent title, Blades of Fire, underperformed.

The Ravenous leak follows longstanding rumors that a Super Metroid remake has been in development at Nintendo. The company recently announced that a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is slated for sometime this year. If Metroid Ravenous is real and due for 2026, Nintendo will need to work some magic to fit both of these games into a packed holiday lineup. Grand Theft Auto 6’s impending Nov. 19 release date has sent everything else running for cover in September and October, marking one of the densest game calendars in years.

Polygon has reached out to Nintendo for comment on Metroid Ravenous and will update this story when the company responds.