Metroid Dread isn't what was envisioned 15 years ago confirms long-term series director

Metroid Dread is different now from what was started 15 years ago according to producer Yoshio Sakamoto.

According to Sakamoto, what was originally envisioned for Metroid Dread 15 years ago is not the same as what has been achieved with the upcoming title. The game was showcased at the Nintendo Direct during E3 2021 and revealed to be a sequel to Metroid Fusion.

In an interview with GamesRadar, Sakamoto says that when they originally came up with the game "the story wasn't yet set, and so it was basically driven or kept alive by the concept." It was only recently that Metroid Dread's story was finalized, and Sakamoto tells us, "as you can imagine, what I envisioned 15 years ago is not the same as what actually was achieved now."

Nintendo has also taken past games into consideration, and Sakamoto says that Metroid Dread "marks the conclusion of this story arc," and that they have "come up with a fitting ending to wrap the whole thing up." Sakamoto does confirm that Samus' adventure will continue, but teases, "As to how… when you clear Dread you’ll have an idea of that.”

Metroid Dread is slated to launch on October 8, 2021, and will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. Its arrival marks the first time we've seen a new 2D Metroid game in 19 years, and it marries 2D gameplay with 3D rendering, with some cinematic scenes peppered throughout. 

The game was originally in the works for the DS system, but development was shelved. In the Nintendo Treehouse Live deep dive on the game, Sakamoto explained that Nintendo finally felt confident enough to pursue its vision for Metroid Dread after seeing what Samus Returns developer MercurySteam was able to do with side-scrolling action on modern technology.

Samus will be facing off against a new antagonist known as E.M.M.I, a large robotic beast that seems invulnerable to her attacks. Players will instead have to evade rather than engage in combat. Although throughout the new world to explore, there is a bundle of new enemies that Samus can takedown. 

You can find out more in our interview with Sakamoto.

Want to see the new world to explore in Metroid Dread with a new screen? You'll want to check out our guide to Prime Day TV deals.