Metroid Dread has been out for a week on the Switch and it seems despite the sales success the game has had, there is some controversy regarding the credits and the developer MercurySteam.
Several staffers who had previously worked MercurySteam during the game’s development, have noted that they aren’t included in the game’s credits even though their work is in the final product. As seen here, 3D artist Roberto Mejías has questioned the development studio’s decision to leave them out/
“I would like to sincerely congratulate the Metroid Dread team for putting out such an outstanding game. I’m not surprised of the quality of the game though, since the amount of talent on that team was through the roof. I know this first hand because, despite not being included on the game’s credits, I was part of that team for eight months.
While playing the game, I’ve recognized quite a few assets and environments I worked on… so my work is there. Then, I would like to ask MercurySteam: Why do I not appear on the game’s credits? Is it some kind of mistake?”
Another staffer who wished to remain anonymous stated they worked on the game for eleven months at the company but haven’t been included in the credits due to the studio having a policy of not crediting those who worked for less than 25% of the game’s total development time. The company has confirmed this policy and has stated they do make exceptions for “exceptional contributions”. Since the game was in development for 4 years, the company would only credit those who worked on the game for twelve months as a result of this policy.