4A Games reports Russian invasion has reshaped Metro 2039

Ukrainian developer 4A Games and publisher Deep Silver report that the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally altered the development and thematic direction of the upcoming game Metro 2039. The development process has been marked by significant hardships, including air-raid sirens, power outages, and the constant threat of drone strikes while working on home soil.

Executive producer Jon Bloch stated that while previous entries in the series focused on preventing war, the lived experience of the team has shifted the game’s tone. Metro 2039 is expected to be darker, focusing on the “cost of silence, the horrors of tyranny, and the price of freedom.”

The series is based on novels by Dmitry Alekseyevich Glukhovsky, who has since lived and worked outside of Russia following his opposition to the invasion. The game continues the franchise's tradition of exploring political and ideological themes within a post-apocalyptic setting.