Metroid Prime 4, Announced Back in 2017, Has Pre-Orders Cancelled by Amazon

Amazon has begun canceling pre-orders for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and is reaching out to customers via email. This development has sparked concerns about the game's future, but rest assured, it's still on track for a 2025 release. Let's delve into what this means for fans and the game's journey.

Reservation Charge will be Refunded

On January 11, 2025, reports surfaced on Reddit, Resetera, and other online forums that Amazon was canceling pre-orders for Metroid Prime 4. Screenshots shared by users revealed that Amazon cited "a lack of availability" as the reason for the cancellations. Despite this disappointing news, Amazon promised to refund the reservation charge within 1-2 business days.

The cancellation has understandably upset some Metroid fans, particularly those who pre-ordered back when Metroid Prime 4 was first announced at E3 2017. However, this move by Amazon does not signal the game's cancellation; it simply means that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is currently unavailable for pre-order on their platform.

For more detailed insights into Metroid Prime 4, be sure to check out our comprehensive article on the game!

Metroid Prime 4’s Development History

Metroid Prime 4 was first unveiled at E3 2017, with Nintendo America's director of product marketing revealing that Retro Studios, the developer behind previous Metroid titles, would not be involved. At the time, Nintendo kept the identity of the new developer under wraps.

Two years later, on January 25, 2019, Nintendo announced a significant change: development was being restarted under Retro Studios. In a YouTube video, senior managing executive officer Shinya Takahashi explained that "the current development progress has not reached the standards we seek in a sequel to the Metroid Prime series."

Fast forward to June 2024, Nintendo unveiled a full gameplay trailer for Metroid Prime 4 at the end of its Nintendo Direct, confirming a 2025 release and revealing the game's full title, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The trailer introduced the antagonist, Sylux, leading a group of Space Pirates in an unnamed facility.

More recently, on January 3, 2025, Nintendo reaffirmed the 2025 release window for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in a news post. Despite Amazon's pre-order cancellations causing some concern, this update confirms that the game is still on schedule for release this year.

With the Switch 2's official announcement looming, it remains to be seen whether Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will launch on the original Switch or its successor.