Kiwi Talkz noted on social media:
"Prime 1 cost about $10 million, Prime 4 cost about $100 million. The game needs to sell 4.5-5 million copies to break even."
When asked about the source of the figure, he replied: "I was told." Although Nintendo has not officially confirmed the data, the information has caused a resonance among fans.
Nintendo traditionally strictly controls development costs, so the amount looks impressive. It can be partially explained by the complex history of Metroid Prime 4: announced in 2017 along with Bayonetta 3, the game has experienced numerous delays and a complete reboot. Initially, the project was led by Bandai Namco Studios, but in 2019 it returned to Retro Studios under the leadership of producer Kensuke Tanabe.
From a commercial point of view, Nintendo's risks may be less than the break-even point suggests. Metroid Dread sold more than 3 million copies, becoming the best-selling game in the series, and Metroid Prime Remastered sold over 1.3 million. With the release on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, reaching the 4.5-5 million copies mark looks realistic.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is scheduled for release on December 4, 2025.