Metro 2039 Is Already Breaking A Major Tradition For The Series Ahead Of Its Release

The Metro franchise has undergone some pretty major changes since its last entry, but the upcoming release of Metro 2039 seems to be taking things to a whole new level with some unconventional twists. While we still don’t know a lot about Metro 2039, aside from it already shaping up to be one of the darkest entries in the series yet, we do have confirmation of a few major changes already.

The first thing you might have noticed, watching the trailer or even seeing the key art, is that Metro 2039 will finally bring back the Dark Ones after their shocking absence from Metro Exodus, but that isn’t even the biggest change you’ll have to look forward to.

Metro 2039 Will Feature A Brand New Protagonist

Despite Metro 2039 going back to the roots of the series with the cramped underground subway systems of Moscow that we know and love, the fourth entry in the series offers a brand new protagonist for the first time in a mainline entry. With Artyom finally getting a well-deserved chance to rest after his journey across the irradiated wasteland of Metro, the new protagonist isn’t even one we’ve seen before, but an entirely new survivor.

While the Metro series has no shortage of larger-than-life characters from Bourbon to Khan that could easily pick up the role of a new hero, all we know about Metro 2039‘s protagonist, currently known as ‘The Stranger’, seems to be much older than Artyom was, but still seems to be a member of the Spartan Rangers.

The stranger will also be the first fully voiced protagonist for a Metro game, which the developers have described as offering even more storytelling potential and emotional weight compared to previous entries

Although we’ll have to wait and see if Metro 2039‘s new protagonist could have participated in the previous events of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, or simply found the armor from the body of a fallen Spartan. While there has been plenty of speculation about their potential identity already.

With one of the most popular theories being that ‘The Stranger’ could be Artyom’s father, Sukhoi, who could even have been given a helmet from Artyom before he departs from the Metro, but there still isn’t much to go on outside of general theories.

Metro Has Only Experimented With Different Protagonists In The Past

Ranger wandering a snowy environment with ruined buildings in Metro 2033.

Despite Artyom’s departure being a major change for the series, it seems to have been part of the plan for Metro 2039 not long into development, as the canceled sequel to Exodus was originally going to star Hunter from Metro 2033, before being changed to the new character we’ll get to play as instead.

Even if you’re a little on the fence about a new protagonist, the Metro series has already experimented with alternate characters several times already, with DLC for Metro: Last Light and Metro Exodus allowing you to play a wide variety of side characters. From playing Anna, Miller, Khan, Sam, and the original Serdar in Metro: Awakening, the past entries have hopefully offered plenty of practice for creating an engaging protagonist for Metro 2039‘s release.