Hunter Returns to Metro 2039, This Time as a Villain

Ukrainian studio 4A Games has finally unveiled the details of Metro 2039, the fourth entry in the Metro universe, created by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky.

The reveal, in partnership with Xbox, lives up to the author's comments about Metro 2039 being the heaviest entry, and no choice validates this more than the upcoming game's central character.

After leading the line in the first three games in the series, Artyom's time in the spotlight is over, giving Hunter his time in the sun instead. Well, or under the candlelight, deep in the tunnels of the Moscow underground.

If It's Hostile, You Kill It

Despite being the centerpiece of Metro 2039, Hunter has been a key character in previous games. It is his visit to Artyom's station that sets off our hero's journey to save the Metro from the dark ones. Later, despite being considered missing at the beginning of Metro Exodus, Hunter's dog tag saves Artyom from an untimely death.

In his brief appearances, Hunter established himself as a ruthless defender of the Metro and its people against any and all perceived threats. After surviving his run-in with the Dark Ones, Hunter became a broken, unpredictable man, leading to the massacre of infected stations.

Five years later, the power vacuum left by Miller's departure from Moscow allowed Hunter to unify the Metro under his extremist approach.

The so-called Novoreich wants to reclaim the surface by any means necessary, and it rules the population of the Metro through fear and propaganda. This is the world your protagonist, referred to only as the Stranger, meets upon arriving at the ruined Russian capital.

'Darker Than Anything You've Seen Before'

Subjugating the inhabitants of the Metro using propaganda and fear is not a particularly new thing, but up until now, no authoritarian faction had held absolute power in the tunnels.

The setting of the upcoming game wants to show how ugly things can get when corrupted, unstable individuals are given absolute power.

According to author Dmitry Glukhovsky, the story of Metro 2039 will be 'darker than anything' we've seen to date, and is 'the most grown-up story' he's worked on with 4A Games. It's a loud claim, especially given the gravitas of the previous three games and their assorted DLCs, but there is an unfortunately real component behind this shift.

Glukhovsky left Russia early in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, and has been a wanted man in his home country ever since due to his opposition to the government.

He says the story of Metro 2039 is one he's wanted to tell for a long time now, but 'had to wait for the reality to catch up.' Now that, by his assessment, the world is screwed up in clear enough terms, 'it doesn't seem to be a dystopia or science-fiction', being 'relevant to anyone' instead.

So, next time you look at the state of global affairs and think the world sucks, just remember: if it didn't suck, we wouldn't have Metro 2039. A positive attitude is the perfect companion for exploring the Metro, second only to a loaded shotgun.