It was recently revealed in an Embracer Group investor call that Metro Exodus, the semi-open-world post-apocalyptic title released in 2019, has sold through 8.5 million units and seen more than 10 million players since its launch. This is a record-high for the franchise, but it’s left us wondering what comes next for Metro.
In 2010, the Metro trilogy debuted with Metro 2033, based on the book of the same name that was published online by Dmitry Glukhovsky in 2002. It was with Exodus that the franchise peaked, and even today, it continues to sell quite well – but what’s on the cards for Metro and 4A Games, the series’ developer?
Metro – The Future is Apocalyptic
Metro was almost ill-fated as a franchise when in 2012, a year before the second game in the series was released, publisher THQ went bankrupt. Fortunately, the series was scooped up by Deep Silver, and since Last Light was released in 2013, things have improved over time.
Exodus was released in 2019 after a long period of development by 4A Games, a studio split between Malta and Kyiv. It was a commercial success – and according to the Embracer Group (which now owns Deep Silver) – it continues to be so. Between January and March of 2023, it was revealed that Metro Exodus shipped 500,000 units, most of which came as a result of discounts and promotional offers.
But what’s next now that Metro Exodus has lived out its lifecycle and delivered on all its expansions?
In February 2023, we exclusively reported that 4A Games’ next Metro title was fully playable at that point, having reached a milestone in its development where it had been fully fleshed out.
Coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S – potentially in 2024 – the next title in the Metro series is supposedly set to deliver classic Metro gameplay in an all-new, and much bigger world. Traditionally, Metro games have multiple endings, but in the past, 4A Games has decided which of those endings is canonical to create a sequel.
Spoiler Ahead
At the end of Metro Exodus, the protagonist – Artyom – manages to find a healthy, radiation-free home with his friends and comrades in the post-apocalyptic Russian wasteland. There’s talk of building up a settlement that will help others, using the valley as a base – so that could serve as the foundation for the next game. There are expectations that it could be a fully open-world adventure, and potentially boast online features for the first time in the franchise.
Metro Exodus’ sequel could be revealed any day now, and given what we know (and suspect), it could be set to rival the likes of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout for that post-apocalyptic crown.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the reveal of Total War: Pharaoh
