Retro Studios, the developers behind the Metroid Prime Trilogy and Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze have been notoriously unproductive and non-communicative in recent years; not only have they not released a game in four and a half years, but in all that time they have nothing to show for themselves at all, not even having announced their next project.

It would seem all is not well at Retro, and a recent employee review on Glassdoor (a site where employers are reviewed by those who have worked for them) seems to confirm this, going so far as to say that "half the team is expecting Nintendo to shut [the studio] down".

This and other negative reviews on Glassdoor (4 of Retro's 5 reviews there are negative) cite poor management and a lack of communication and transparency as the Texan studio's main problems.

The reviews also describe Retro as "a shadow of its former self" and claim "the spark left this place a long time ago".

http://www.gamerevolution.com/news/402467-metroid-prime-developers-claim-the-studio-is-in-disarray

https://www.glassdoor.com.au/Reviews/Retro-Studios-Reviews-E647349.htm?countryRedirect=true

Now, these reviews can't be taken as gospel, but given the studio's 4.5 year hiatus, it is quite concerning.

This is disappointing. If we don’t get a good announcement from them before the end of 2019, they’re done for good.

I'm honestly just sick of hearing rumors about the studio. At this point, let's just let the work speak for itself. Wait for valid information. If nothing comes by the end of the year, yeah ... there's probably something wrong.

I'm actually surprised they're still around. Of Nintendo's 8 first party divisions, they're dead last on productivity and quality - even ND Cube has surpassed them recently; and are behind a lot of Nintendo's second party studios as well. I don't see much value in them, to be honest; anything they can do another studio could do faster and better.

Nintendo should close the studio, or sell them to EA or Activation. They pretty much juggle staff with them as is.

Or not. Just let them do their work, they don't owe anyone anything.

Hence the word "probably"

Never said they owed anyone anything anyways (and also that's technically wrong) 

They just need a kick up the arse...... you CANNOT shutdown the developers behinde DKC series... you just cant!

Also even if its some time ago, DKC TF is simply amasing.
Like its the best platformer the Wii U had.

Nintendo cant shut them down, they just need to get them working on the next DKC game.

According to everyone on the internet Retro has given so much to the world that they literally don't owe anyone anything. I heard they just got their taxes back from the state. Nintendo wants to close the studio but they can't because Retro doesn't owe them anything so they can't cancel the contract.

I just wanna see the Star Fox racing game