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Metroid Prime 4: Beyond may finally be on its way to gamers. The South Korean rating board, the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC), has just rated the game, suggesting a relatively close release date.
The GRAC often ‘leaks’ release dates. For example, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach received its rating on February 6 and was announced around one month later, on March 9. The game was then released on June 26. Following this pattern, Metroid Prime 4’s launch date could be announced in the coming weeks at a Nintendo Direct, Gamescom, or even the Tokyo Game Show, for a late 2025 release. An early 2026 release is also possible.
Regardless of the exact timing, this rating seems to contradict a rumor from earlier today by Reece ‘KiwiTalks’ Reilly, who claimed there was no official release date because the game wasn’t finished. Given that the GRAC has already rated it, this seems unlikely.
The game was rated ’12 years old and up’ by the South Korean rating board:
A first-person adventure game set on the planet Buros, where Samus Aran was transferred after an unexpected situation arose following her encounter with Silux at a Galactic Federation research facility.
Mild violence (using weapons attached to the suit to attack alien lifeforms).
Metroid Prime 4’s development has been very challenging. The game was announced for the original Nintendo Switch in June 2017, initially assigned to Bandai Namco but later rebooted and handed back to Retro Studios. Now, at last, it appears the finishing line is in sight. During the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event, Nathan Birch played the game and had positive impressions:
Based on my early hands-on experience, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond probably won’t change how most fans feel about the series. It’s more of a good thing that we haven’t seen in a long time, and make no mistake, this is going to be the most playable and technically-sound version of Metroid Prime to date. A few easily-tweakable issues aside, the mouse controls work, and 120fps on a Nintendo console is a real thing. I still have more to play, but it seems like Metroid Prime fans have a rewarding bounty coming their way.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will also be available for the original Switch, as per the initial announcement.
📚 Reading Comprehension Quiz
According to the South Korean rating board, what is the age restriction for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond?
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