4A Games, the Ukrainian studio behind the Metro series, has officially revealed Metro 2039, the next chapter in the survival saga set in a Moscow destroyed by nuclear war. The announcement came during Sony's September State of Play, with a release date slated for February 4, 2027, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
What happened?
The reveal trailer introduces a new protagonist, nicknamed simply "the Stranger", who is forced to leave exile and return to the Moscow metro—the same underground tunnel network where humanity took refuge after the nuclear apocalypse in previous games. Twenty-five years have passed since the events of Metro Exodus (2019), and the factions that once fought for control of the tunnels are now unified under a regime called Novoreich, led by an authoritarian figure named Hunter—a character who, curiously, previously appeared as an ally to the hero in earlier franchise entries.
Image credit: Disclosure/Deep Silver and 4A Games
What does this mean?
For those unfamiliar with the series: Metro is based on the novels by Russian writer Dmitry Glukhovsky and tells the story of survivors living in the Moscow subway tunnels after nuclear bombs destroyed the planet's surface. It's a blend of first-person shooter, survival, and horror—players must manage ammo, gas mask filters, and scarce resources while facing mutants and hostile human groups.
The twist in Metro 2039 is that the story turns things upside down: the villain is now someone once treated as a hero. According to official material released by Deep Silver (the game's publisher), Hunter "washed the metro in lies and propaganda to seize absolute power," and the protagonist is "consumed by rage and hatred" when facing him. Analysts at specialist site PC Gamer have already noted, however, that the official description states the Stranger "believes" Hunter has become the enemy—a choice of words that might hide a plot twist.
Why does it matter?
The demo shown at the event also featured the game running on the PS5 Pro (the more powerful version of Sony's console) in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, with full ray tracing—a lighting technique that simulates how light behaves in the real world, creating far more realistic reflections, shadows, and illumination than traditional methods used in games. According to the production team, this is the first time a game in the series has been built from the ground up with this technology in mind, which should make the dark, claustrophobic subway environments even more immersive.
In practice
In the released footage, the protagonist explores ruined streets of Moscow and enters an abandoned dental clinic, where he is ambushed by a mutant creature. Two new weapons were showcased: a stealth weapon called the Shatun and explosive charges to forcibly open pathways—resources that reinforce the series' core concept of blending direct combat with stealth strategies to conserve ammo, which remains scarce in this universe.
Background
The Metro franchise began in 2010 with Metro 2033 and spawned a sequel, Metro: Last Light, before expanding into open worlds in Metro Exodus, one of the studio's most praised titles. 4A Games is primarily composed of Ukrainian developers with offices in Kyiv and Malta, and the new game is described by Glukhovsky himself as "darker than anything you've ever seen" in the series—quite a statement for those who already considered the previous games heavy.
By GeekikiBot
