Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was made with the help of more than 20 other studios including Luigi's Mansion and Oblivion Remastered devs

1. Games
2. Action Games
3. Metroid
4. Metroid Prime 4

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was made with the help of more than 20 other studios including Luigi's Mansion and Oblivion Remastered devs News By George Young published 4 December 2025

Rome wasn't built in a day and games aren't built by one studio

Comments (0) ()

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The credits for Nintendo's latest first-party game, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, features more than 20 external studios that helped make the game a reality in its credits.

In 2025, discussion around video games has centered on the size of development teams, focusing on the primary studio's full-time employees rather than the plethora of contractors and external studios, without which developing these games wouldn't be possible.

Famously, many focused on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which has a core team of around 30 people at primary developer Sandfall Interactive while delivering a AAA experience. However, Sandfall's payroll doesn't tell the whole story, and if you look at the credits for Expedition 33, you'll see the names of the hundreds of talented people who made such a project possible.

You may like

• Metroid Prime developer struggled to find common ground with Nintendo "many" times, leading to one clash that went from morning until "the sun was setting"
• After leaving Fire Emblem studio, Donkey Kong veteran and Mario's Picross creator couldn't hire his former co-workers or he'd face Nintendo's wrath: "It shows a lack of decency"
• Super Mario and Legend of Zelda veteran says "implementing and playtesting is precisely what matters" at Nintendo, where devs don't just "make decisions based on what they see on paper"

As spotted by Nintendo Life, not only are 21 external studios mentioned in Metroid Prime 4's credits, but a number of external and independent contractors. Some more interesting names include Next Level Games, a Nintendo-owned studio that develops Luigi's Mansion and Mario Strikers, and Virtuos, a studio that feels like it has assisted every AAA game since the beginning of time.

You might not have heard of Virtuos, but you've played its games. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Hogwarts Legacy, and Horizon Zero Dawn, are just a sliver of the studio's extensive library of hits that it's lent its talents to. Despite these omega successes, Virtuos laid off almost 300 employees this year, and more shockingly, that gigantic figure made up just 7% of its workforce. For the mathematically uninclined, that's almost 4,000 developers ready to assist other studios.

Requiring help from other studios isn't a bad thing – the more developers in full-time employment the better – but Metroid Prime 4 shows that even famously insular developers like Nintendo expand development well beyond its borders.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: "The series' atmosphere has never been better, while being dragged down by a boring overworld and clunky psychic powers."

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Platforms Nintendo George YoungSocial Links NavigationFreelance News Writer

Freelance writer, full-time PlayStation Vita enthusiast, and speaker of some languages. I break up my days by watching people I don't know play Pokemon pretty fast.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Metroid Prime developer struggled to find common ground with Nintendo "many" times, leading to one clash that went from morning until "the sun was setting"    After leaving Fire Emblem studio, Donkey Kong veteran and Mario's Picross creator couldn't hire his former co-workers or he'd face Nintendo's wrath: "It shows a lack of decency"    Super Mario and Legend of Zelda veteran says "implementing and playtesting is precisely what matters" at Nintendo, where devs don't just "make decisions based on what they see on paper"    Nintendo announces plans to acquire a Bandai Namco studio long-rumored to be the original Metroid Prime 4 developers    After 18 years, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a surprisingly magical return to Nintendo's legendary series, and I'm all in on psychic abilities and the power of friendship    If Metroid Prime 2 "is remade," series producer wants more people to play the GameCube classic's forgotten splitscreen multiplayer: "Retro finished the multiplayer mode without compromising on quality"    Latest in Metroid How to unlock the Vi-O-La bike in Metroid Prime 4    How to get back up the Volt Forge in Metroid Prime 4 Beyond    What to do with Green Crystals in Metroid Prime 4 Beyond    How to get the Psychic Boots and double jump in Metroid Prime 4 Beyond    How long is Metroid Prime 4 Beyond? Time to beat explained    After an agonizing 7-year wait, Metroid Prime 4 Metacritic score is just barely above black sheep like Other M and Prime Pinball    Latest in News A machine you've almost certainly never heard of just spent a week beating the PS5 as the second best-selling games console in the US behind the Switch 2    After 4 years, there's a new Paranormal Activity movie in the works, it's a "rebirth" for the series, and The Conjuring and Insidious creator James Wan is producing: "Do not see it alone"    Banned horror game Horses now topping GOG's best-seller charts amid censorship controversy, and it's back on Humble even as Steam and Epic refuse to carry it    This NES horror JRPG spent 32 years as lost media, but once it was preserved it only took 33 days to get a complete fan translation    As Octopath Traveler 0 launches to great reviews, the JRPG's producer says "we may have truly delivered what we set out to create" and "it feels as though I've finally returned to my hometown"    GTA is "not as good as Dickens," former Rockstar boss says, but he "binged on Victorian novels" so Red Dead Redemption 2's writing would "capture that 19th-century feeling of life and death"    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
2. 2Sleep Awake review: "An all-timer horror premise is let down by tired stealth that I feel like I'm sleepwalking through"
3. 3Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: "The series' atmosphere has never been better, while being dragged down by a boring overworld and clunky psychic powers"
4. 4Routine review: "This imperfect but wonderfully atmospheric moon-based horror leaves a strong impression"
5. 5Marvel Cosmic Invasion review: "Excellent '90s-tinged superhero brawling across a punchy campaign falls just short of arcade bliss"

1. 1Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
2. 2Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
3. 3Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
4. 4The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
5. 5Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"

1. 1Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review: “Can the Duffer brothers stick the landing? It’s sure looking like they will”
2. 2Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
3. 3The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
4. 4IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
5. 5Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"