Nintendo has confirmed that its latest game, Metroid Dread, has a game-crashing bug that may prevent you from completing the game if left unresolved.
The bug reportedly occurs near the end of Metroid Dread when a specific condition is met, with the following messaging popping up: “The software was closed because an error occurred.” The game will then shut down.
Nintendo has confirmed that the bug exists on the original Switch, Switch Lite and Switch OLED, so it’s a software fault rather than a hardware one.
There’s a strong possibility that you won’t encounter this bug (I didn’t during my playthrough) as it requires you to put a map marker on a door before destroying it in the end sequence.
But if you have encountered this bug, then we’ve assembled this guide to help you overcome this annoying obstacle.
How to avoid the Metroid Dread bug
If you’ve encountered the game-crashing Metroid Dread bug near the end of the game, follow these steps:
- Restart the game.
- Remove the door icon map marker where the bug keeps occurring.
- Continue progression without issue.
Nintendo has also confirmed it’s rolling out an October 2021 software update shortly which should fix the issue, so you won’t need to worry about the problem if you’re still a long way off completing the game.
However, this means you’ll need to update the game in the future to correct the bug, so it will always be present if you don’t connect your Switch to the internet.
Metroid Dread launched last week, and currently has a 89 out of 100 rating on Metacritic. We gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 score, and said in our verdict:
“Metroid Dread perfects the Metroidvania formula that its predecessors established, while also elevating the series to new heights with highly rewarding combat, stunning 3D cutscenes and new stealth segments that provide greater variety to the gameplay.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
