Fans eagerly waiting for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond were recently shocked to see an advertising poster that mistakenly showed the game had already been released. The title, which is in development by Retro Studios, was first announced during a Nintendo Direct event in 2017. It has now been confirmed that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will launch in 2025 on both the Nintendo Switch 2 and original Switch platforms.
The year 2025 is turning out to be a defining year for Nintendo. Apart from the launch of the long-awaited Switch 2 console, the gaming giant has also released Mario Kart World and is now set to launch several major first-party titles such as Donkey Kong: Bananza, Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Out of these projects, the development journey of the upcoming Metroid title has been particularly notable, with developers changing over time. Recently, Metroid fans have started expecting a new announcement from Nintendo after an advertisement poster surfaced which mistakenly claimed that the game has already been released.
A shocking error has been revealed in a promotional poster for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond recently spotted at Oxford Circus station in London, UK, which mistakenly stated that the game is ‘available now’. The ad was shared by Reddit user Orchestar, and spread widely via popular source Wario64. The poster not only managed to grab the attention of Metroid fans, but also sparked debate over the possible reasons for this unintentional claim. Some Reddit users believe that the ‘available now’ text was merely temporary, to be replaced later with a ‘coming soon’ or release date sticker. Others argued that it was likely a design or editing mistake that made it into the final print. Many users compared this poster to the Mario Kart World ad, and noted that the design of the ‘Available Now’ section looked different, strengthening the theory that this text was originally simply superimposed over ‘2025’, which is the confirmed release window for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
Erroneous Nintendo Ad Says Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is ‘Out Now’
Metroid Prime 4 ad in London Underground: “OUT NOW”?
byu/orchestar innintendo
Although the next entry in the Metroid series has yet to be officially revealed, recent events have left fans speculating about when Nintendo might actually release the game. With the launch of Donkey Kong: Bananza in July, it’s logical to speculate that the Japanese publisher might set a release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond after that. If the highly anticipated science-fiction title releases in August, it will be the third consecutive month since the arrival of the Switch 2 when a major first-party Nintendo game hits the market, pointing to an aggressive release strategy from the company.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is currently performing brilliantly as the fastest-selling Nintendo console in history. While there have been some challenges with sales of third-party games on the new platform, first-party games like Mario Kart World and Switch 2 versions of previously released titles continue to dominate the market. As such, Switch 2 software sales in the coming months will largely depend on the performance of key titles like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond which can not only boost game sales, but also play a vital role in selling additional units of the console.
