Beyond Fits in the timeline

Nintendo has officially shared where Metroid Prime 4: Beyond falls in the overall timeline of the franchise, clearing the position of the newest game in the series. The long awaited return of Metroid Prime series brought a host of changes to the franchise's standard formula, between Samus' new psychic powers and an open world for players to explore. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond introduces a massive desert hub into the franchise's new world, allowing players to traverse the desert and collect resources as they move through Viewro's various environments. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond also brought in some new elements for the progression of his story.

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

Family

Metroid Prime 4: Beginner Tips and Tricks

With such a long gap between entries, old and new players alike may need a little 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 it Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is placed after Super Metroid in the overall story of Samus, but especially before the 2002s Metroid Fusion. Nintendo has reissued it Metroid Prime 4: Beyond takes place in “another dimension”, with no impact on the timeline of the 2D games in the series. The studio has also invoiced Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as a fresh start for the franchise that new players can jump into with no prior experience Metroid Prime game.

Metroid Prime 4: BeyondThe long-awaited release comes after the game went through a tumultuous development cycle. Beyond was first announced in 2017, not long after the original Switch release, with Bandai Namco Studios originally working on the game. The information was relatively easy about Metroid Prime 4s development for the first two years under Bandai Namco, before it was revealed that development of the game would be handed over to Retro Studios. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond went through a complete reboot under Retro Studios, spending the next six years in development before finally being released in December 2025.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's big changes haven't seen a glowing reception

While Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been one of Nintendo's most anticipated games of the year, the game hasn't quite gotten the landing the developer might have hoped for. Reception to Metroid Prime 4 has been largely mixed among fans and critics, especially regarding the game's new NPC companions and the open world segments. The aforementioned Myles Mackenzie has been a particularly sour spot for many fans, with players feeling that he doesn't fit in well with the overall atmosphere of the franchise. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond took the top spot on the North American eShop during launch week for Switch 2 games, while performing well in other regions.

Despite its weak early reception, Metroid Prime 4 experimented with lots of bold new elements for the franchise. Metroid Prime 4s highly rendered 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 with fans and critics alike, with each setting holding up Metroid Prime the franchise's signature sense of isolation amid the more frenetic action sequences. Metroid Prime 4: Beyondwhile not a perfect game, it looks to be a new outing in the franchise that drives Metroid in a bold new direction.