A game called Metroid Ravenous briefly appeared inside Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security ratings system before it was pulled, and screenshots of the entry are now circulating. The listing didn’t spell out platforms or a release date, but it did mark 2026 as the production year, which is why so many people are treating this as the next 2D Metroid in the making.
Quick answer: A rating for an unannounced game titled Metroid Ravenous surfaced in Brazil’s classification system, listing a 2026 production year and a 12-and-up rating. Nintendo has not announced the game, so treat it as an unconfirmed leak until an official reveal.
What the Metroid Ravenous listing actually shows
The entry was spotted by Brazilian journalist Felipe “Necrolipe” Lima, who posted screenshots after the page was taken down. Ratings boards process games before they’re publicly announced, so a title showing up there usually means the game exists and is far enough along to be classified.
Here’s what the classification confirmed, and just as importantly, what it didn’t.
| Detail | What the listing shows |
|---|---|
| Title | Metroid Ravenous |
| Production year | 2026 |
| Age rating | 12 and above |
| Content descriptors | Violence (weapons, blood, death) and light sexual content |
| Footage reviewed | 41 minutes submitted by Nintendo to the ratings board |
| Platform | Not specified in the listing |
| Release date | Not specified |
The page has already been removed from the system, so the only public record now is the captured screenshots. Nintendo has not commented, and the document has not been independently verified.
Why people expect a 2D Metroid, not another Prime
The name itself is doing a lot of work. It drops the “Prime” branding used for the first-person 3D games, which lines up with the naming pattern of side-scrolling entries like 2021’s Metroid Dread. That’s the main reason the rumor is being read as a return to the classic 2D format rather than a new Prime installment.
The timing supports that read too. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond already covered the 3D side of the series when it launched late last year on Switch and Switch 2. Meanwhile, the 2D branch has been quiet since Metroid Dread arrived at the end of 2021, so roughly five years have passed without a new one. That’s a normal gap for Nintendo to have a fresh 2D project in development.
Who could be developing Metroid Ravenous
MercurySteam is the obvious guess. The studio built both Metroid Dread and the Metroid: Samus Returns remake on 3DS with Nintendo, so it’s the most natural fit for another 2D outing.
There’s a complication, though. MercurySteam went through layoffs earlier this year, and the studio described itself as being between production cycles. That’s a slightly awkward fit if it were in the middle of a full new Metroid game, but it’s still possible a separate team inside the studio was working on this project alongside its most recent release. Necrolipe believes MercurySteam is behind Ravenous.
Could there be more than one Metroid coming
Shortly after the listing spread, VGC’s Andy Robinson teased that he’d heard “more than one of these are coming.” That hint has fueled the long-running rumor of a Super Metroid remake, and it left open the possibility that Ravenous itself could be that remake rather than an all-new game.
Talk of a modern Super Metroid has circulated for a while, with speculation split between a fresh pixel-art take and a Dread-style reimagining. None of that is confirmed, and the ratings listing doesn’t say which project Metroid Ravenous is.
When a Metroid Ravenous reveal could happen
No official announcement or release date exists, so any window is guesswork. A 2026 production year suggests Nintendo could target this year, but it wasn’t shown during recent Nintendo Direct or summer showcase presentations, which makes a late-2026 launch harder to bank on. A reveal in a later Direct, or a surprise drop through the Nintendo Today app, would both fit how Nintendo has handled recent games.
For context, the confirmed Switch 2 slate for the rest of the year already includes Splatoon Raiders, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, and the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake.
How to tell if the leak is real
Brazil’s ratings board has a track record of exposing unannounced games before publishers are ready, which is why this one is being taken seriously. Even so, the entry stays a rumor until Nintendo confirms it. You’ll know it’s real when Nintendo formally announces Metroid Ravenous, whether through a Direct, the Nintendo Today app, or an official product page. Anything before that, including a platform confirmation or a firm release date, is unverified.
With Metroid marking its 40th anniversary this year and the 2D line overdue for a new entry, Metroid Ravenous lands as one of the more believable Nintendo leaks in recent memory. Until there’s an official word, though, the smart move is to hold onto the excitement and skip the release-date assumptions.
