The Metro games have never shied away from shoving players into a bleak post-apocalyptic world, but in Metro 2039, things are looking especially grim. Ahead of its release in 2027, a new gameplay trailer for Metro 2039 was revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live, showing how players will have to deal with a new regime that has risen from the ashes of the nuclear war that turned the world into a radioactive wasteland.
The gameplay showcased several hallmarks of the Metro’s distinct action. These include dangerous metro tunnels filled with soldiers, monsters inhabiting the radiation-filled surface, and the many, many guns you’ll have to dispatch them with. Like previous entries, you’ll be able to craft weapons to suit your playstyle, with the gameplay showcasing an aggressive approach to the series’ stealth action.
While Metro 2039 still features mutated monsters and ghouls, it seems 4A Games is focusing more on the atrocities humans can commit in this sequel. As described by developers on stage at Opening Night Live, Metro 2039 is about consequences: the cost of silence, the horror of tyranny, the price of freedom. It is clear the studio is drawing from its experience of developing the sequel while enduring the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Metro 2039 features a new protagonist, known as the Stranger. A new power has risen in the form of the Spartan Order, which has evolved from a force for good in the older Metro games into a twisted, authoritarian movement known as the Novareich. Led by Hunter–the very same Spartan Ranger from Metro 2033–the Stranger comes out of exile and embarks on a journey through the remains of Moscow to take down the Novareich and Hunter, its Führer.
Developer 4A Games says that Metro 2039 will be a shocking entry in the series: one where players will have to master exploration, survival, combat, and stealth skills to stand a chance at seeing the Stranger’s mission through to the end. Despite being a sequel to the original trilogy, 4A Games says this will be an ideal point to jump in if you haven’t yet, too. Metro 2039 launches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in February 2027.