MercurySteam

Mercury Steam Entertainment S.L.
MercurySteam
Company typeSociedad Limitada
IndustryVideo games
PredecessorRebel Act Studios
FoundedMay 2002 (2002-05)[1]
FoundersEnric Álvarez
José Ignacio Navas
HeadquartersSan Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
Key people
Enric Álvarez
Dave Cox
OwnerNordisk Film (40%)
Number of employees
246 (Nov. 2024)
Websitemercurysteam.com

Mercury Steam Entertainment S.L., doing business as MercurySteam, is a Spanish video game developer based in San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid.

History

MercurySteam was formed in May 2002 by former members of Rebel Act Studios who had developed Severance: Blade of Darkness.[2] Co-founder Enric Alvarez served as CEO and games director.[3][4] The company's first game was American McGee Presents: Scrapland for Xbox and PlayStation 2.[5]

When Konami decided to reboot the Castlevania series, MercurySteam successfully pitched a 3D action game that would become Lords of Shadow. The developers received assistance from Hideo Kojima.[6] After the game released in 2010, additional downloadable content was released the following year.[7][8] Toward the end of initial development, the company took on the work of developing a sequel for the Nintendo 3DS. MercurySteam chose to develop for the 3DS over the PlayStation Vita due to the former's stereoscopic technology. The company redeveloped its internal engine for the project.[9] Initially expected out in 2012, it was delayed to the beginning of 2013.[10] Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate ultimately allowed the 60-person company to stay in business between bigger projects.[11]

Lords of Shadow sold better than expected and proved to be the best selling Castlevania game of all time. As a result, Konami requested a home console sequel, forcing MercurySteam to develop two games at once.[11] Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate was released in early 2013. Lords of Shadow 2 was developed as an open world game set in a modern city, and would be the company's last in the series.[12][13][14] It suffered from reported development issues before releasing in 2014.[5][11][15][16] Art director José Luis Vaello left the company for Tequila Works during development.[17] The studio's leadership denied any wrongdoing.[18]

In 2016, the company self-published Raiders of the Broken Planet, a four-versus-one online shooter.[5][19] Having left Konami after the release of Lords of Shadow 2, producer for the trilogy, Dave Cox, joined MercurySteam.[20] The studio increased to 140 employees during development.[21] It was initially conceived to be episodic, with a free tutorial and mission included. Paid campaign expansions were then offered.[22][23] The game performed well on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One but struggled on PC. A progression system was added with the game's third campaign, which helped improve attach rate. By August 2018, the game was relaunched as a free-to-play title called Spacelords.[24] By this point, the game was maintained by a team of 100.[25]

As early as 2015, it was reported that MercurySteam was working on a prototype for a new Metroid game.[26] The company had pitched a remake of the 2002 game Metroid Fusion to Nintendo, but producer Yoshio Sakamoto had hired them to create a remake of Metroid II instead.[27][28] Nintendo announced Metroid: Samus Returns at E3 2017, a remake of the 1991 Metroid II: Return of Samus on the Game Boy. It was developed in partnership with MercurySteam and was released for the Nintendo 3DS in September 2017.[29][5]

The company once again collaborated with Sakamoto to develop Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch.[30][31] Known as Project Cazadora during development, reports after launch described a chaotic work environment, including mismanagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and other toxic behavior. Nintendo performed an internal review of the project and found the company had massively overscoped for art and cinematics, leading to significant cuts in content.[32] In December 2020, Nordisk Film, under its Nordisk Games division, purchased a 40% stake in the studio.[33][34]

Releasing in October 2021, Metroid Dread debuted as the third best-selling game in the US and the highest-ranked selling game on the platform.[35] MercurySteam came under fire for excluding staff members from the credits of Metroid Dread.[36][32] A representative defended the decision to GameSpot, stating "We accredit all those who certify a minimum participation in a particular project—usually the vast majority of devs. We set the minimum at 25% of development time."[37][38] The studio hinted years later that it had adjusted this policy to be more in line with International Game Developers Association recommendations.[39] In a 2023 interview, studio head Enric Álvarez denied all wrongdoing against the company.[40]

In December 2021, it released a remaster of Scrapland, the company's first game.[41] 505 Games also announced it had partnered with MercurySteam to develop a third-person action RPG under the codename Project Iron.[35] Blades of Fire was announced for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC (as an Epic Games Store exclusive) in February 2025.[42] The game released in May, but was reported to have underperformed by July.[43]

In September 2025, Spanish trade union CSVI-CGT accused the company of instituting mandatory overtime, including 10-hour days, a crackdown of internal communications, limiting vacation days for several months of the year, and eliminating remote work. Another group of employees denied these accusations.[39] 3DJuegos reported that current and former employees of MercurySteam experienced a toxic work environment during the development of Blades of Fire, especially in early to mid-2025. These include forced 10-hour workdays and intimidation strategies.[44][45]

In February 2026, it was announced that Blades of Fire would be released on Steam in May with additional features.[46][47]

Games developed

Title Year Platform(s) Publisher(s) Notes Ref.
American McGee Presents: Scrapland 2004
N/a [5]
Zombies 2006
MercurySteam N/a
Clive Barker's Jericho 2007
Codemasters Co-developed with Alchemic Productions
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2010
Konami N/a [6]
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate 2013
Konami N/a [11]
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 2014
Konami N/a [8]
Metroid: Samus Returns 2017 Nintendo 3DS Nintendo Co-developed with Nintendo EPD [27]
Spacelords
MercurySteam N/a [24]
Metroid Dread 2021 Nintendo Switch Nintendo Co-developed with Nintendo EPD [30]
American McGee Presents: Scrapland Remastered Windows MercurySteam N/a [41]
Blades of Fire 2025
N/a [42]

References

  1. ^ "Mercury Steam Entertainment S.L." MobyGames. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Scrapland Ships for Xbox". Gamershell. 4 March 2005. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  3. ^ "Enric Alvarez". www.diceeurope.org. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  4. ^ Staff, I. G. N. (8 August 2011). "2011 GDC Europe Adds Keynotes From Crytek and Mercury Steam". IGN. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d e Ronaghan, Neal (14 June 2017). "A Brief History of Metroid: Samus Returns Developer MercurySteam". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b Cipriano, Jason (26 August 2010). "The Story Of How 'Castlevania: Lords of Shadow' Was Canceled, Then Resurrected, Dracula-Style". MTV Multiplayer. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  7. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (22 December 2010). "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow DLC detailed". GameSpot. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  8. ^ a b "Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2 – a titanic series overhaul". Edge. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  9. ^ Hillier, Brenna (21 August 2012). "Castlevania on 3DS "quite a challenge" but "remarkable"". VG247. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  10. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (17 August 2012). "Castlevania 3DS delayed". GameSpot. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  11. ^ a b c d Yin-Poole, Wesley (20 February 2013). "Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Mercury Steam's mission to be the next Naughty Dog". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  12. ^ Cai, Catherine (26 June 2013). "Castlevania: LoS2 brings Dracula to the modern age". VG247. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  13. ^ Oshry, Dave (27 June 2012). "Moving on: Cox and Mercury Steam aim for Contra reboot". VG247. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  14. ^ Williams, Mike (22 July 2013). "MercurySteam Not Developing Next Castlevania". VG247. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  15. ^ Cook, Dave (28 February 2014). "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 dev discusses troubled development, blames director for 'mediocre' game". VG247. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  16. ^ "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 dev steps forward to confirm troubled development reports". VG247. 1 March 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  17. ^ Santo, Anthony (28 February 2014). "Desvelamos los problemas de desarrollo de Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2". FS Gamer (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 November 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  18. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (20 September 2016). ""We got caught in a s***storm"". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  19. ^ Nunneley-Jackson, Stephany (15 April 2016). "Raiders of the Broken Planet is MercurySteam's new multiplayer online game". VG247. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  20. ^ Handrahan, Matthew (18 March 2016). "ex-Konami producer Dave Cox teams up with MercurySteam". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  21. ^ Dring, Christopher (8 September 2017). "The most important seven days in MercurySteam's history". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  22. ^ Philips, Tom (7 September 2017). "Raiders of the Broken Planet has a release date and a tempting price". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  23. ^ Makuch, Eddie (19 June 2017). "E3 2017: Castlevania Dev's New Shooter Not Coming To Nintendo Switch". GameSpot. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  24. ^ a b Jones, Ali (21 July 2018). "Raiders of the Broken Planet is dead, long live Spacelords". PCGamesN. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  25. ^ Dring, Christopher (1 October 2018). "MercurySteam: "Going free-to-play has been a nightmare... but it's working"". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  26. ^ Robertson, Liam (14 August 2015). "Exclusive: MercurySteam Has Been Working On A Metroid Prototype For Wii U And 3DS". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  27. ^ a b Reeves, Ben (15 September 2017). "Metroid: Samus Returns Preview - A Remake That Feels Original". Game Informer. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  28. ^ Knezevic, Kevin (15 June 2017). "E3 2017: Metroid's Producer Talks MercurySteam's Contributions To Samus Returns". GameSpot. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  29. ^ "Un Metroid "made in Spain" y Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Secuaces de Bowser completan la primera jornada de anuncios de Nintendo en el E3". Nintendo of Europe SE (in European Spanish). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  30. ^ a b Sheridan, Connor (15 June 2021). "Metroid Dread release date revealed and it's a sequel to Metroid Fusion". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  31. ^ Bailey, Kat (17 June 2021). "Inside Metroid Dread's Development With Producer Yoshio Sakamoto". IGN. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  32. ^ a b Trivi, Marta (15 October 2021). "Empleados de MercurySteam hablan sobre las condiciones de trabajo del estudio". AnaitGames (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  33. ^ Handrahan, Matthew (22 December 2020). "Nordisk Games buys 40% of MercurySteam". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  34. ^ Ivan, Tom (22 December 2020). "Nordisk has acquired 40% of Metroid: Samus Returns studio MercurySteam". VGC. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  35. ^ a b Moore, Jared (30 November 2021). "Metroid Dread Developer Now Working on a Dark Fantasy RPG". IGN. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  36. ^ Plant, Logan (15 October 2021). "Developer Who Worked on Metroid Dread Doesn't Appear In the Credits". IGN. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  37. ^ Koch, Cameron (14 October 2021). "Metroid Dread Studio MercurySteam Doesn't Credit Everyone Who Worked On The Game". GameSpot. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  38. ^ Francis, Bryant (14 October 2025). "MercurySteam defends leaving developers out of Metroid Dread credits". Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  39. ^ a b "MercurySteam denies accusations of poor work conditions by Spanish union". Shinesparkers. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  40. ^ Caballero, David (28 July 2023). "MercurySteam y Nintendo "nos entendemos a la perfección"". Gamereactor España (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  41. ^ a b Nightingale, Ed (13 December 2021). "Mercury Steam releases remaster of first ever game". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  42. ^ a b Nightingale, Ed (28 February 2025). "Metroid Dread studio announces new action-adventure Blades of Fire". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  43. ^ Wales, Matt (23 July 2025). "Metroid Dread studio's recent console and Epic-exclusive action-adventure "underperformed" due to "increasingly selective consumers", says publisher". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  44. ^ Amores "Blissy", Marina (15 October 2025). ""Si algo hace bien MercurySteam es jugar con el miedo porque no hay otro lugar donde ir": Así se ha degradado el ambiente laboral en uno de los estudios de videojuegos más grandes de España". 3DJuegos (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  45. ^ Francis, Bryant (16 October 2025). "Metroid Dread dev accused of crunch and retaliation". Game Developer. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  46. ^ Carcasole, David (11 February 2026). "Blades of Fire Arrives on Steam With New "Version 2.0," Adding NG+, NVIDIA DLSS 4 Support, and More". Wccftech. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  47. ^ Karunakar, Varun. "Blades of Fire Launches on May 14th for Steam With New Game Plus, Photo Mode and More". GamingBolt. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
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