Metro Exodus Sequel Reportedly Well Into Development

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The sequel to Metro Exodus is "well into development" and "fully playable," according to a report issued by Insider Gaming. 4A Games, developer of the Metro series, had announced that development on the next Metro game was underway in 2020, so while its development wasn't exactly a secret, little had been known about it.

"The next title is being built for Gen 9 consoles and PC, with a complete overhaul of our engine and renderer to take advantage of the new power, storage, and hardware supported ray tracing afforded by the new consoles," the developer had stated in its 2020 report detailing the future of the series. The report also confirmed that the team is committed to delivering a great single-player experience, in addition to exploring plans for a multiplayer experience one day alongside Saber Interactive.

In 2020, 4A Games was acquired by Saber Interactive, a subsidiary of Embracer Group. Saber Interactive has a track record of work on live service games, including World War Z, Quake: Champions, and Halo, and it is this expertise that 4A Games is counting on to expand its offerings beyond what Metro has provided to players. The two companies plan to share technology, development resources, and other lessons learned to achieve this goal. In addition, the report reveals that 4A Games has begun developing a new intellectual property that leverages its decade of experience in creating the Metro franchise.

4A Games has not yet confirmed if there will be an exclusive Metro multiplayer game in the future, or if the sequel will include both single-player and multiplayer options in one package. However, the developer has emphasized the importance of single-player gameplay as a top priority. While further details about the upcoming sequel remain unknown, the company is encouraging players to explore and create their own experiences within the Metro universe using the recently released Exodus SDK development kit.

The Metro series takes place in a stunningly beautiful post-apocalyptic Russia with danger lurking at every turn, and the games take players on a thrilling, narrative-driven journey through various locations including Moscow, Leningrad Oblast, St. Petersburg, and Rostov-on-Don. The series is inspired by the author Dmitry Glukhovsky's original books, and a film adaptation of the first novel in the series, Metro 2033, will be released in 2024. With a budget of 700 million rubles (about $9.3 million), the screenplay will be written by Glukhovsky himself.