Seven years after Metro Exodus, 4A Games and Deep Silver have fully revealed the next mainline Metro game. Metro 2039, the fourth mainline entry in the post-apocalyptic first-person shooter series, was unveiled on April 16, 2026, during a digital-only “Xbox First Look” broadcast, which featured a cinematic reveal trailer, developer interviews, and a first look at gameplay.
Metro 2039 is scheduled to launch in Winter 2026. According to the official Deep Silver website, the game will launch simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox on PC.
Setting and Story of Metro 2039
Metro 2039 is set in post-apocalyptic Moscow in the year 2039 and returns the series to the tunnels beneath the city. For a quarter century, survivors of a nuclear war have been locked in bitter conflict deep within the Metro tunnels beneath the poisoned city.
In this new entry, the many independent factions that once populated the tunnels have been united under a single authoritarian regime known as the Novoreich, led by a returning character from the series: Hunter, now cast as a fascist dictator. The regime rules through propaganda and fear, subjugating the population in the name of a renewed war against a mysterious surface enemy.
Players will take on the role of a new protagonist known as “The Stranger,” a reclusive figure haunted by violent waking nightmares who is drawn out of exile and forced to undertake a harrowing journey into the shattered ruins of Moscow. In a first for the mainline Metro games, The Stranger will be a fully voiced protagonist, departing from the silent-hero approach of previous entries.
A New Story Written with Dmitry Glukhovsky
Metro 2039 features an original story created by 4A Games in collaboration with Dmitry Glukhovsky, the author of the best-selling Metro book series on which the games are based. According to Deep Silver, the story is not an adaptation of a specific novel but is inspired directly by the world Glukhovsky created.
Glukhovsky has stated that Metro 2039 will be “darker than anything you’ve seen before” in the series. His involvement comes during a difficult period for the author, who, as confirmed on the PlayStation Blog, is currently living in exile from Russia after being sentenced to eight years in prison in absentia for publicly criticising the invasion of Ukraine.
A Game Shaped by War
4A Games has been open about how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has directly influenced the development of Metro 2039. The studio was founded in Kyiv in 2005 and remains majority Ukrainian, with team members now spanning more than 25 nationalities and working primarily from offices in Kyiv and Malta.
In official communications, the studio confirmed that many team members have had to shelter from drone strikes and rely on batteries and generators to complete their work during development. The studio has said the experience of the ongoing war has fundamentally shaped the story of the game, with a stronger focus on themes of choice, consequence, and the cost of securing a future.
Gameplay and Visual Direction
According to Creative Director Andriy “mLs” Shevchenko, Metro 2039 returns to the series’ roots by going “back to the tunnels and leaning into what makes Metro, Metro.” After the more open spaces explored in Metro Exodus, the new game focuses once again on the claustrophobic atmosphere, psychological horror, and handcrafted level design the series is known for.
A key design concept introduced by the team is what they call “frozen stories,” an approach to environmental storytelling in which each area is carefully staged with items, bodies, and props to allow players to piece together micro-narratives as they explore.
Executive Producer Jon Bloch described the approach in the Xbox Wire recap: “Nothing is prefabricated – everything is unique and grounded. When you walk into a room, it’s clear that a person lived there. You can feel what they were doing right before they left or died.”
The gameplay tease shown during the presentation included:
- A ruined Metro station setting
- Familiar handcrafted weapons and the series’ signature wristwatch HUD
- A combat encounter with returning mutants called Nosalises
- Signs of resource and weapon maintenance mechanics, including a weapon misfire
Built on 4A Games’ Custom Engine
Like all previous entries in the series, Metro 2039 is being built using 4A Games’ proprietary custom engine. The studio has stated that it is rebuilding its implementation of ray tracing for this entry, with the aim of delivering a more tuned and performant experience while maintaining the visual quality the series is known for.
Platform Availability for Metro 2039
Based on the official Deep Silver product page, Metro 2039 is confirmed for:
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X|S
- PC via Steam
- PC via Epic Games Store
- PC via Xbox on PC (including Microsoft Store)
A Nintendo Switch 2 version has not been announced.
Release Summary of Metro 2039
- Title: Metro 2039
- Developer: 4A Games
- Publisher: Deep Silver
- Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox on PC)
- Release Window: Winter 2026
- Protagonist: “The Stranger” (fully voiced)
- Story collaborator: Dmitry Glukhovsky
A specific release date has not yet been announced. More details on gameplay, story, and the final launch date are expected throughout the year as 4A Games and Deep Silver continue their marketing campaign. For fans of the series, the long wait since Metro Exodus in 2019 is finally coming to an end, with a return to the tunnels that defined the franchise.