Developer 4A Games has revealed initial information about Metro 2039, the newest chapter in their acclaimed post-apocalyptic horror shooter franchise, set to debut this winter on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Metro 2039 features The Stranger, a fully voiced lead character plagued by disturbing visions, who reluctantly re-engages with the bleak underground realm of the series. Taking place in the remnants of the Moscow Metro system, those who survived a nuclear disaster struggle to survive in this subterranean setting.
In the aftermath of the events of 2019’s Metro Exodus, the Metro’s landscape has undergone significant transformation. Formerly rival factions, swayed by propaganda and misinformation, now come together under the Novoreich, a totalitarian regime led by the new Führer, the legendary Spartan, Hunter. This suggests an audacious new future above ground. Such changes are surrealistically portrayed in Metro 2039’s spine-chilling announcement cinematic, which reveals The Stranger’s distressed inner thoughts.
While more details are limited, 4A Games provided insight into their vision for Metro 2039 in a developer First Look video shared alongside the announcement. The largely Ukrainian-based studio intends to achieve a “much darker tone this time around” with a narrative presented from a “unique Ukrainian perspective.” Developed in the context of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, 4A Games highlights a thematic shift from preventing war to addressing its aftermath—the “cost of silence, the horrors of tyranny, and the price of freedom.”
Metro 2039 is characterized as a hand-crafted, story-focused single-player campaign where players will “feel the weight of the decaying world bearing down on you, immersing you deeper into your claustrophobic nightmares.” Created in collaboration with Metro author and exiled Russian government critic Dmitry Glukhovsky, the game emphasizes “choices, actions, consequences, and the price of securing a future,” illustrating “the worst of humanity.”
Utilizing 4A’s proprietary engine, Metro 2039 aims to create a “hauntingly beautiful” environment featuring “frozen stories” that facilitate naturalistic environmental storytelling to enhance immersion, engage imagination, and provide insights into the Metro universe.
Brace yourself for the “intensity of darkness, the intimacy of confined spaces, and the realization that every step and decision has a cost” when Metro 2039 arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam and Epic) this winter. Promising glimpses of these aspects can be seen in the studio’s showcase video.
