Beyond Fits in the Timeline

Nintendo has officially shared where Metroid Prime 4: Beyond falls in the franchise’s overarching timeline, clearing up the position of the newest game in the series. The long-awaited return of the Metroid Prime series brought a multitude of changes to the franchise’s standard formula, between Samus’s new psychic powers and an open-world environment for players to explore. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond introduces a massive desert hub within the franchise’s new world, allowing players to traverse the desert and gather resources while moving throughout Viewros’ different environments. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond also brought in some new elements for the progression of its story.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond‘s premise, while following similar beats to past games, makes some notable changes to its progression. The game introduces a new companion character in Myles Mackenzie, helping Samus to establish a base camp on Viewros to explore the undocumented planet. Samus also got some new transportation within the game, piloting the Vi-O-La motorcycle to navigate the vast deserts of Viewros. Now, Nintendo has officially confirmed where Metroid Prime 4: Beyond fits into the overall timeline of the series.

Metroid Prime 4: Beginner Tips & Tricks

With such a long gap between entries, both old and new players may need some help getting started with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

Metroid Franchise Timeline

Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime Hunters
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Metroid 2: Return of Samus/Metroid: Samus Returns
Super Metroid
Metroid: Other M
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Metroid Fusion
Metroid Dread

A recent statement from Nintendo in popular gaming publication Famitsu has fully revealed where Metroid Prime 4 takes place in the franchise. Nintendo revealed that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is positioned after Super Metroid in the overarching story of Samus, but notably being before 2002’s Metroid Fusion. Nintendo has re-stated that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond takes place in “another dimension,” not having an impact on the timeline of the 2D games in the series. The studio has also billed Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as being a fresh start for the franchise that new players can jump into without having any prior experience with the Metroid Prime games.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond‘s long-awaited release comes after the game went through a tumultuous development cycle. Beyond was first announced back in 2017, not long after the original Switch’s release, with Bandai Namco Studios originally working on the game. Information was relatively light about Metroid Prime 4‘s development for the first two years under Bandai Namco, before it was revealed that development on the game would be handed off to Retro Studios. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond went through a full restart under Retro Studios, spending the next six years in development before its eventual release in December 2025.

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Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Big Changes Have Not Seen Glowing Reception

While Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been one of Nintendo’s most anticipated games of the year, the game has not seen quite the landing the developer may have hoped. Reception to Metroid Prime 4 has largely been mixed among fans and critics, particularly taking issue with the game’s new NPC companions and the open-world segments. The previously-mentioned Myles Mackenzie has been a particular sour spot for many fans, with players feeling he does not fit well with the franchise’s overall atmosphere. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond did take the top spot on the North American eShop in its launch week for Switch 2 games, while performing well in other regions.

Despite its lackluster early reception, Metroid Prime 4 experimented with plenty of bold new elements for the franchise. Metroid Prime 4‘s highly-touted psychic powers were a particularly popular aspect of the game, praising the unique application of Samus’ new tools. The actual dungeon environments were also a hit amongst fans and critics, with each setting maintaining the Metroid Prime franchise’s touted sense of isolation amidst the more frantic action sequences. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, while not being a perfect game, looks to be a fresh outing in the franchise that pushes Metroid in a bold new direction.