Spanish studio MercurySteam, developer of Metroid Dread and the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series, has announced its next game.
In a post on its official blog, the studio says the new title is currently codenamed “Project Iron”, and will be “a third person action RPG set in a dark fantasy world.”
The game will be co-published and developed in partnership with 505 Games, and is targeting a “multiplatform global release”, with both PC and consoles being specified. The IP for Project Iron will be co-owned by MercurySteam and Digital Bros., the parent company of 505 Games.
The companies are expecting to spend €27million (£23million, US$30.5million) on developing the game.
“We are thrilled to work with the team at MercurySteam, a proven studio that over the years has created numerous phenomenal IPs – including the recent hit release Metroid Dread in partnership with Nintendo” commented Raffi and Rami Galante, co-CEOs of Digital Bros Group, via statement. “With MercurySteam’s creative vision and talent and 505 Games extensive experience, gamers can expect a high-quality, captivating and engaging videogame.”
However, there’s no timeframe for the mysterious game’s release, nor any detail on what players can expect beyond its breif genre description. While MercurySteam is perhaps best known for its work developing ‘Metroidvania’ games, it’s also responsible for the asymmetric free-to-play shooter Spacelords (previously known as Raiders of the Broken Planet), so there’s a diversity of talent and experience for the studio to tap into.
Metroid Dread proved to be a huge success for the studio, becoming the fastest-selling Metroid game in the UK when it launched in October 2021, and earning a nomination for Game of the Year at the upcoming Game Awards 2021.
