Six years after developer 4A Games released the critical and commercial hit Metro Exodus in 2019, the studio has returned to the spotlight once more to unveil its next entry in the post-apocalyptic FPS franchise: Metro 2039.

The developer revealed Metro 2039 in full in partnership with Xbox on Thursday morning, with Microsoft's gaming brand premiering a 15-minute long showcase of the title in a new "Xbox First Look" format. It was also announced that it's scheduled to release this year in winter.

The presentation highlighted several key details about the game, including the fact it's set back in the Moscow metro and sees us play a character named The Stranger as he returns to the tunnels and engages a new oppressive faction called the Novoreich; the organization is clearly inspired by the fascist regime of Nazi Germany.

Thematically, Metro 2039 revolves around "The Cost of Silence, The Horrors of Tyranny, and the Price of Freedom" — concepts that are deeply meaningful to, and experienced firsthand by, 4A Games' Ukraine-based developers. Indeed, Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine directly inspired the shooter's creation, and the studio has now shared a letter with the community about what Metro 2039 means to them. You can read it below:

From 4A Games, developer of the Metro series:

Greetings Metro dwellers,

It has been more than seven years since the release of our last major game. We have seen your comments, followed the mentions, and read your letters — and at last, we are ready to break our silence and share with the world what we have been working on so carefully and tirelessly for so long — METRO 2039.

Over this time, many talented new people from over 25 countries have joined our team behind the previous METRO games in Kyiv and Malta, working alongside team veterans and returning team members, and each of them has left their mark on this new chapter of METRO. At the same time, we have built upon what made players fall in love with our games in the first place; deep narrative, intense immersion, incredibly detailed worlds, and atmosphere you can truly feel. Our main goal is to tell a new story in the way we know best: through our art and craftsmanship with a uniquely Ukrainian spirit.

These years have not been easy for the world, and especially not for Ukraine. The majority of our team continues to work from our office in Kyiv and remotely across Ukraine, doing so every day under conditions that are impossible to imagine. Getting electricity from generators or batteries during daily power outages, sheltering from rocket or drone attacks, not knowing when you can next heat food for your families; these things interrupt, but don’t stop us from making what we deeply believe in. Getting rest and still finding ways to feel normal are nothing less than luxuries. Sometimes you just put your head down and focus on the work, but it’s each other’s support that keeps you running, and we continue to support our Ukraine-based colleagues in every way we can.

The full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine has also shaped how we want to tell the story of this game. Our games explore what humans were before the world ended, what they became after, and what they are willing to do to live another day. The meaning has always been about preventing war. But now war is our reality.

The world has grown even darker, crueler, more unjust, and more ruthless — not only in real life, but in the world of METRO as well.

As a result, our message has shifted to be about the consequences;

The Cost of Silence, The Horrors of Tyranny, and the Price of Freedom.

At the heart of this story, as always, is a destroyed world poisoned not only by radiation in the aftermath of launched missiles, but also by people — who can at times be more terrifying than any Geiger counter reading. In METRO 2039, a new faction emerges — the Novoreich, led by a new Fuhrer; the legendary Spartan, Hunter. Führer promises a new life for the people, up there, on the surface. In reality, the Metro is flooded with propaganda, misinformation, and fear. The people suffer under his authoritarian regime and the brutal belief... if it’s hostile, you kill it.

Our games are based on and inspired by the novels of the author Dmitry Glukhovsky — an outspoken critic of the invasion of Ukraine.

His courageous stance has come with a personal price, a life in exile from his home country, Russia, where dissent is a crime.

We’ve crafted this new story together, united by our shared values of freedom and truth that have been shaped by the harsh reality of the world around us.

We aren’t revealing too much just yet, but rest assured, every detail will become part of a bigger picture that players will have to piece together as they move through a dark and oppressive story.

We are incredibly proud of the journey our team has been through — long, difficult, and at times truly exhausting. We can’t wait to tell you our new story — dark, brutal, and unforgettable.

To our fellow Metro community, our friends, our family, thank you. For the patience. For all the support and love we have seen in your messages, content, and replies.

But first of all, to our defenders

Слава Україні!

Stay tuned and follow our social channels to be the first to hear all the latest news about METRO 2039 and what life at our studio looks like behind the scenes.

With immense love and gratitude,

The 4A Games Team

Metro 2039 can't come soon enough

The themes of hope and finding the strength to go on despite seemingly insurmountable odds has always been at the core of Metro as a series, but Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine has made that an all-too-real challenge for 4A Games' developers in Kyiv. Thus, it makes sense that Metro 2039 will be "darker than anything you've seen before," informed by that experience — and I expect its story will be all the more harrowing and beautiful as a result.

That developers such as 4A Games and STALKER 2's GSC Game World are able to push forward and create their art despite the constant threats of war is nothing short of an astounding and admirable display of resilience and strength, and I can't wait to experience Metro 2039 for myself once it comes out later this year. The game can't come out soon enough.

Are you excited to play Metro 2039 when it comes out later this year? Let me know in the comments, and vote in our poll.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).