This Popular FPS Series Is Getting Its First Multiplayer Game

The next release in the Metro series of games will not be a single player-focused adventure like its predecessors but a multiplayer first-person shooter, as detailed by GameRant. This sequel is currently in development, which was just revealed in a post celebrating developer 4A Games' ten-year anniversary.

4A Games has assured fans of the franchise that their upcoming entry will retain the post-apocalyptic Russian setting and story of the prior games in the series, which was established in the novels by Dmitry Glukhovsky, the source material on which the games are based. The only significant change will be to its gameplay. According to 4A, the shift to multiplayer will make sense from a plot perspective once further details about the game begin to emerge.

This doesn't preclude, however, future single player-only Metro titles. In fact, 4A has promised that it still has plans for an entirely separate single-player Metro game. Including a campaign mode in its upcoming multiplayer release is something that, while far from a certainty, 4A has not yet ruled out as a possibility, either.

Holding company Embracer Group, which is most notably the parent company that owns THQ Nordic, acquired 4A Games earlier this year. When the deal was announced, 4A Games was revealed to be developing both an original IP and an unnamed multiplayer game in collaboration with Embracer Group-owned Saber Interactive, with no further details provided about either. Meanwhile, just about a year prior, Glukhovsky confirmed that a sequel to the technically impressive Metro Exodus, the third and most recent entry in the series, was in development. Now 4A Games has made it clear that their previously announced multiplayer title and their new Metro game are one and the same.

4A cites their newfound ability to collaborate directly with Saber Interactive as key to creating a worthwhile multiplayer experience. Developing a multiplayer game is something the company explained it has always had in its sights and has finally become able to realize following its acquisition.

Some players have expressed trepidation about the ability for Metro to transition smoothly into the multiplayer genre. 4A addressed this group directly and cited their direct involvement with the game's development, as opposed to a deal that leaves its creation predominately up to Saber Interactive, as key to ensuring a high standard of quality upon its release.

While there isn't yet a timetable even hinting at when multiplayer Metro will see the light of day, 4A appears to be focused far more intently on crafting a great gameplay experience than following any sort of predetermined release schedule. This approach paid off when Metro Exodus was met with general critical acclaim. Thus, further details are likely to materialize only when the company feels it's ready.