Will Artyom Be The Protagonist of Metro 2039?

Following years of speculation, we are finally getting the fourth entry in the Metro series, this time officially.

So far, all we've got is a reveal date and a short teaser video with a watch, but that may give us more information than any previous material.

Metro 2039 is Being Unveiled This Week

According to the post, 4A Games is officially unveiling the next chapter of Metro on April 16th, at 13:00 EDT. The new game, Metro 2039, already has a website where you can sign up for an email reminder.

Fans of the source material will be happy to know that, at least at first glance, author Dmitry Glukhovsky remains involved with the project.

Despite 4A Games heavily diverging from the books after Metro 2033, Glukhovsky has been part of the writing process for all three installments, resulting in some of the most engaging and dark post-apocalyptic games ever made.

The other major partner in bringing Metro 2039 to life is Xbox, which will be hosting the reveal on its YouTube channel.

How Will Metro 2039 Differ from Exodus?

Other than taking part four years after the Spartans' voyage east aboard the Aurora, there's no official information about the setting or even the cast of Metro Exodus. However, the events that have transpired since the last release in 2019 are likely to result in a darker theme and an urban setting.

The biggest question in everyone's mind is, will Artyom still be the protagonist? Sure, four years is enough time to put together a new watch, but the one shown in the teaser looks nothing like the watches used by Artyom or Anna in previous games, while still having similar functions.

The other issue is whether it's worth continuing Artyom's story at all. He and the Spartans never forgot about those left in Moscow, but with how deeply entrenched the rot is in the destroyed Russian capital, what can a small squad really change?

Personally, I'd love to see a new protagonist for a change. The Two Colonels and Sam's Story DLCs have shown just how refreshing the Metro universe can be when seen from a new perspective.

The other big question is the tone of the game. Metro Exodus came out 7 years ago, but the world looks unrecognizable today.

The war in Ukraine has frequently forced many of the developers to become intimate with the realities depicted in Metro, spending nights in bomb shelters, rationing food, and hiding from bombing in underground stations. Dmitry Glukhovsky, once a celebrated author in Russia, is now a wanted man at home.

It's hard to know exactly what kind of impact these realities will have in the game, but you can bet they will affect the setting and storytelling, as it's virtually impossible to go through these experiences without being affected on some level.

Whatever fate holds for the people of Metro 2039, we will be waiting in bated breath, preferably with a few gas mask filters to spare.