Metro 2039 Announced as the Next Chapter in the Post-Apocalyptic Series
4A Games and Deep Silver have announced Metro 2039, the fourth mainline entry in their post-apocalyptic first-person shooter series. The announcement was made during an Xbox First Look presentation, which included a cinematic reveal trailer and a brief gameplay clip. The story-driven, single-player game is scheduled for release in winter.
Announcement and Release
The game was revealed in a video presentation at an Xbox First Look event. Metro 2039 is the fourth mainline title in the series, which is developed by 4A Games and published by Deep Silver. The game is scheduled for a winter release.
Story and Setting
The narrative returns to the setting of the Moscow Metro. According to the developers, the story involves a fascist regime that has united the Metro's independent factions under a single dictatorship.
Players will control a new protagonist named "The Stranger," who is described as a recluse forced to return to the Metro. The character will be the series' first fully voiced protagonist.
Creative Director Andriy 'mLs' Shevchenko stated the game returns to the series' roots in the tunnels. Co-Creative Director Pawel Ulmer described the game as the "darkest chapter" in the Metro saga, adding that the series does not romanticize the post-apocalypse.
Gameplay and Design
A brief gameplay clip shown during the presentation featured several elements:
- Combat with returning creatures called Nosalises.
- Mechanics indicating weapon maintenance and ammunition management.
- Environmental exploration and interaction.
- A glimpse of a populated settlement within the Metro tunnels.
The developers described their narrative level design approach as "frozen stories." This involves using handcrafted environmental details to imply micro-narratives and a sense of history within the game world.
Technical Details
Metro 2039 is built on 4A Games' proprietary 4A Engine. Executive Producer Jon Bloch stated that the engine allows the studio to build features specific to their vision. The developers also stated they are pushing graphical technology, including ray tracing, further in this installment.
Development Context and Influences
4A Games is a studio that was founded in Ukraine and remains majority-based there.
Developers stated that the studio's experience following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia influenced the game's development. Executive Producer Jon Bloch said the originally planned story for Metro 2039 was reworked.
Dmitry Glukhovsky, the author of the Metro novels which serve as the series' source material, returned to help craft the story for this installment. Glukhovsky is living in exile from Russia.
Creative Director Andriy Shevchenko stated the game's thematic message has shifted to address "the consequences, the cost of silence, the horrors of tyranny, and the price of freedom." Co-Creative Director Pawel Ulmer noted that the majority of the development team continues to work from various locations in Ukraine.