The original Metroid launched on the Famicom in Japan on August 6, 1986. This Thursday, Samus Aran’s franchise turns 40 — and a Brazilian government rating document quietly filed on June 30, 2026 suggests the next chapter, Metroid: Ravenous, is already well into development at Nintendo of America.

Forty Years of Samus Aran

Few Nintendo franchises have had a career as uneven — and as rewarding — as Metroid. The original NES game was a landmark of atmosphere and non-linear exploration at a time when almost no other action game trusted players to find their own way. Super Metroid (1994) is still cited by developers as one of the greatest games ever made. Metroid Dread (2021) ended a 19-year gap in the 2D series and walked away with The Game Awards’ Action Game of the Year. And Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which released in December 2025, gave fans a full-scale first-person sequel after a development journey that stretched nearly a decade.

Forty years on, Samus Aran remains one of gaming’s most compelling silent protagonists — a bounty hunter who says almost nothing and survives everything. The franchise has never been Nintendo’s biggest seller, but its fandom is dedicated, and the back-to-back wins of Dread and Prime 4 have the series in better shape than it’s been in decades.

The Leaked Document — What It Confirms

On June 30, 2026, Brazil’s Secretaria Nacional de Direitos Digitais (SEDIGI) — the government body that rates games and media for age-appropriateness — issued an administrative order classifying a product called Metroid Ravenous. The document, spotted and circulated before being removed from the ratings board’s public listing, identifies Nintendo of America as both the creator and distributor, gives the game a 12+ age rating, and lists violence as its primary content descriptor. The production year is given as 2026.

A few details stand out. The “interactive elements” field reads não se aplica — not applicable — which in the Brazilian ratings framework means no in-game purchases or randomised loot mechanics. That’s consistent with Nintendo’s standard first-party game model. The fact that the document names Nintendo of America specifically, rather than a Japanese parent entity or a third-party publisher, points to this being a mainline Nintendo release headed for a global market.

Nintendo has not officially announced or acknowledged Metroid: Ravenous. The Brazilian ratings board listing was removed after it surfaced, though the document itself is public record. Ratings board leaks of this kind — an official classification filed before the game is announced — have accurately predicted real games in the past. They can also occasionally surface test submissions or placeholder entries, so the standard caveat applies: until Nintendo says so, this is a very credible lead rather than a confirmed launch.

How Far Along Is Ravenous?

According to a follow-up report by Twisted Voxel, Nintendo reportedly submitted approximately 41 minutes of gameplay footage as part of the classification process. Ratings bodies typically review representative gameplay segments to assign age descriptors, so 41 minutes of footage suggests a game in post-production or very late development — not a title that’s years away.

The document gives no platform information, and Nintendo has not confirmed whether Metroid: Ravenous is a 2D or 3D title. Given that Metroid Dread was the last 2D entry and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond arrived relatively recently, either direction is plausible. The title’s word — Ravenous — evokes something predatory and hungry, which fits comfortably with the franchise’s atmosphere of isolation and survival. Beyond that, everything else is speculation until Nintendo decides to show its hand.

What Switch 2 Owners Should Know

If you haven’t played Metroid Prime 4: Beyond yet, it’s available on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 from major game retailers and the Nintendo eShop. The Switch 2 edition runs at higher resolution and includes several technical upgrades. It was received warmly, even if reviews noted some uneven pacing in the late game.

Whether Nintendo marks August 6 with a Metroid: Ravenous reveal remains to be seen — the company hasn’t telegraphed any anniversary event publicly. But with a game already rated and (reportedly) nearly ready, Singapore fans who loved Dread and Prime 4 probably don’t have too much longer to wait. Keep an eye on the Game News section for the moment Nintendo makes it official.