Metroid Dread[a] is an action-adventure game developed by MercurySteam and Nintendo EPD, released on October 8, 2021, for the Nintendo Switch. Players control bounty hunter Samus Aran as she investigates the source of a mysterious transmission, the planet ZDR. It retains the side-scrolling gameplay of previous 2D Metroid games and incorporates stealth elements.
Dread was conceived for the Nintendo DS in the mid-2000s, but was canceled due to technical limitations. Industry commentators expressed interest in a new 2D Metroid game, and listed Dread in their "most wanted" lists. After their work on Metroid: Samus Returns in 2017, Metroid producer Yoshio Sakamoto appointed MercurySteam to develop Dread, the first original side-scrolling Metroid game since Metroid Fusion (2002). Nintendo announced the game at E3 2021. Metroid Dread received generally favorable reviews.