Metro 2039 returns to Moscow at gamescom 2026 with a fully voiced protagonist and a darker story shaped by the war in Ukraine

Ukrainian studio 4A Games and publisher Deep Silver have unveiled a detailed schedule for the upcoming gamescom 2026, centered on the ambitious post-apocalyptic shooter Metro 2039. The game marks the series' return to the ruins of Moscow after more than a decade, and the developers promise a packed week of reveals.

On August 24, 4A Games will launch a global announcement across social media, which the studio says gamers "won't want to miss." The following day, August 25, a new gameplay trailer will debut during the gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live ceremony. On August 26, press previews from journalists who had early access to a portion of the game will be published. From August 26 through August 30, attendees at the 4A Games and Xbox booths will be able to play the first public demo of Metro 2039, which is expected to generate a flood of new details.

For the first time in the series, Metro 2039 features a fully voiced protagonist named Stranger. He once left the Moscow Metro but returns years later to challenge the despotic Novoreich regime and its ruthless leader, Hunter — a man Stranger once knew as a noble member of the Spartan Order.

The developers have stated that Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine fundamentally reshaped the original story of Metro 2039. The narrative was rewritten to be significantly darker, with core themes revolving around the cost of silence, the horrors of tyranny, and the real price of freedom.