One of the most anticipated Nintendo Switch games coming up is Metroid Prime 4. The title has reached almost mythical status at this point. Ever since Metroid Prime 3 in 2007, fans have been wondering if a fourth installment would ever get made. Everything changed with the logo reveal in 2017. It has been nearly three years since then, causing fan confusion. Is Metroid Prime 4 even close to being done? Can we expect it this year? Let’s examine the evidence.

An Intriguing Timeline

Metroid Prime 4 was announced during Nintendo’s E3 2017 Direct, exciting fans worldwide. It was just a logo, but that was enough to generate tons of discussion. There were pretty much no major updates after the reveal. Nintendo did not say anything about the game’s story, characters, etc. It wasn’t even confirmed which company was developing, though Bandai Namco was reportedly the one doing it.

After a drought of info, Nintendo surprised everyone in January, 2019. Metroid Prime 4 was restarting development with Retro Studios at the helm. While fans were happy to have the old studio return, this meant Prime 4’s release was pushed back. According to Shinya Takahashi, it would be “a long road” before the next update. Indeed, a year later, and there is still no major update. Back in October, Retro Studios reportedly hired an artist. Beyond that, information has been severely scarce.

Is It Canceled?

Absolutely not! If we take “restart development from the beginning” literally, that probably means everything from before: assets, cinematics, etc. were all tossed in favor of starting everything from scratch. Thus, the game had no shot of releasing in 2019, and there was nothing to show either. However, with over one year passed, it’s possible Nintendo has an update coming up. Don’t be surprised if Metroid Prime 4 pops up at a Nintendo Direct this year.

Prime 4 Is Coming

Fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for a 2020 release. Whereas Bayonetta 3 has been in development by one company, Prime 4’s development was rebooted with another company. Bayonetta 3 likely has a good chance at releasing this year. Prime 4 could see release in 2021, but it’s hard to say. No matter what, fans can rest easy knowing Nintendo and Retro Studios are working hard to deliver the best Metroid Prime experience possible.

NEXT: Rumor: There Might Be New Metroid & Paper Mario Games Coming To The Switch This Year