It has been almost 20 years since a wholly original 2D Metroid game has been released. However, with Metroid Dread's launch coming very soon, patient fans of Samus Aran have a lot to look forward to with this latest entry. Not only is it a brand-new story that follows up on Metroid Fusion's narrative, but this might be one of the bounty hunter's most dangerous adventures yet, due to the dangerous EMMI robots that will be hunting her down.
Metroid Dread releases for the Nintendo Switch physically and digitally on October 8, 2021, which is this Friday. The game costs $59.99 (like other major video game titles on Switch) and will support the two new amiibo figures made for the game's release. The Samus and EMMI figures are available in a two-pack that can be used to unlock extra health and missiles.
Metroid Dread Release and Unlock Time on Switch
As for what time fans can play their digital copy of Metroid Dread on their Switch, it's going to be the same as other first-party Nintendo games. Metroid Dread will be available to play at 9 PM PT on Thursday, October 7, 2021. Here are the release times for various time zones:
- 9 PM PT (October 4)
- 10 PM MT (October 4)
- 11 PM CT (October 4)
- Midnight ET on Friday, October 5
- 5 AM GMT on Friday, October 5
Most Switch games with a physical and digital release will unlock at 9 PM ET the day before launch, but if a game is digital-only, it will typically be available on the day of release at 9 AM ET.
Metroid Dread File Size
Of course, for the Switch owners out there that are mostly digital these days, they should make sure that they have enough free space on their Switch before attempting to download Metroid Dread upon launch. Luckily, Metroid Dread won't take up too much space on the SD card, and the game is only 4.1 GB total in file size.
Is Metroid Dread Multiplayer?
Traditional 2D and 3D Metroid games usually don't include online multiplayer or local multiplayer components. This is also the case for Metroid Dread. It's an entirely single-player experience, and players should not expect Nintendo to release any multiplayer add-ons post-launch.
Metroid Dread launches for the Switch on October 8, 2021.