4A Games unveiled the first details of its new title, Metro 2039, during the Xbox First Look showcase on April 17 (KST).

The showcase featured a teaser, gameplay footage, and behind-the-scenes insights into the game's development. While the gameplay clip shown at the end was brief, it captured the series' signature atmosphere, upgraded graphics, iconic equipment, and combat sequences.

The presentation featured Executive Producer Jon Bloch, Co-Creative Director & Lead Audio Designer Pavel Ulmer, and Creative Director Andriy Mls Shevchenko.

A Darker Atmosphere and Immersive Storytelling

Metro 2039 is set in the dark heart of the Moscow Metro, where the last survivors of a nuclear war struggle to exist within the tunnels and subway stations of a ruined city.

In this installment, underground factions and station communities have united under the banner of 'Novo-Reich,' an organization led by a new Chancellor—the legendary Spartan known as 'Hunter.' While the Chancellor promises a new life on the surface, the people remain trapped in the Metro, suffocated by propaganda, misinformation, and fear, while suffering under his brutal, authoritarian rule.

The Metro series explores humanity before and after the 2013 nuclear war, as well as the extreme choices people make to survive. At its core, the series has always been a warning against war.

Today, war is no longer a distant story but a harsh reality. Consequently, the game’s central message focuses on the consequences of war: the price of silence, the terror of tyranny, and the cost of freedom.

Players take on the role of 'The Stranger,' a recluse haunted by violent nightmares. He embarks on a harrowing journey, forced to descend back into the Metro—a place he swore he would never return to. The developers stated that this narrative serves as the story they felt compelled to tell.

The Stranger is a fully voiced protagonist, intended to deepen immersion in a story that stays true to the unique atmosphere of the Metro franchise.

The tone of this entry is significantly darker than its predecessors. Through the single-player campaign, players will feel the crushing weight of a decaying world and be drawn deeper into claustrophobic nightmares. The developers noted that the campaign will expose the ugliest sides of humanity.

Development Behind the Scenes: The Impact of War on Metro 2039

4A Games was founded in Ukraine and remains majority-Ukrainian. Today, the team develops Metro 2039 from Ukraine and Malta, with members hailing from over 25 countries.

During the development of this title, Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered a war, forcing the team to drastically alter their original plans for the next chapter of Metro.

The developers shared that while the invasion changed the lives of everyone at the studio, the impact was far more profound for those based in Ukraine.

During development, the team had to rely on generators and batteries for electricity, and work was frequently disrupted by power outages or the need to evacuate during rocket and drone attacks. Despite this chaos, the team persevered. Pavel Ulmer noted that they were able to keep going because of the support they provided one another.

The war directly influenced the development of Metro 2039. 4A Games shifted the story to focus on the choices, actions, consequences, and the price one must pay to protect the future.

However, the developers emphasized that Metro 2039 remains a story within the Metro universe. While it is told through a distinctively Ukrainian lens, it remains fundamentally an authentic Metro experience.

A Unique Metro Experience Powered by a Proprietary Engine

To achieve the specific atmosphere and level of detail required for an authentic Metro experience, the team utilized their own proprietary engine and tools for Metro 2039.

The 4A Engine was designed specifically to build the games the studio envisions, allowing them to leverage the strengths of previous titles while maintaining the flexibility to design new features and systems without compromise.

The team focused particularly on advancing the ray-tracing implementation pioneered in Metro Exodus. This will deliver a visually stunning and beautiful experience that is more refined and optimized than ever before.

Andriy Shevchenko stated, "These tools allow us to create the most immersive, realistic, and convincing world imaginable—a world that makes Metro feel more tangible than ever."

There are no prefabricated assets in the game; every object exists for a clear physical reason. These details reveal what happened in a space just before the player arrived. 4A Games describes this as 'frozen storytelling.'

The moment an event occurred is literally frozen in time, allowing players to understand what transpired without a single line of dialogue. This 'frozen storytelling' sparks the imagination, immersing players and providing opportunities to explore and learn more about the world of Metro.

Of course, not all of Metro's story is frozen; at its heart are the people. The game is inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky. The author has been a vocal critic of the invasion of Ukraine, which has forced him into exile from Russia.

Metro 2039 is a new story born from close collaboration with Glukhovsky. It reflects the harsh realities of today's world, united by shared values of freedom and truth.

In Metro 2039, the developers focused on returning to the tunnels and reclaiming what makes Metro unique: the intensity of the darkness, the intimacy of confined spaces, and the feeling that every step forward and every decision made carries a heavy price.

4A Games hopes that through Metro 2039, players will gain a deeper understanding of the price of silence, the terror of tyranny, and the cost of freedom, and that the experience will leave them questioning the world around them.

Metro 2039 will be released in the winter of 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud, PS5, and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox).