Metro: Exodus is one of the most anticipated games of the next year, as 4A Games are not only skilled graphics designers, but also excellent storytellers (there's a reason why Exodus won many "best of E3 2018" awards last month), and Exodus’ script is longer than the Metro 2033 and Last Light screenplays combined, including all DLC. But there's one thing 4A can't control - the packed release schedule.
To avoid competing with Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Super Mario Party and Battlefield V, publisher Deep Silver announced in May a significant delay for Metro Exodus: from autumn 2018 to February 2019. But this decision may lead to even bigger troubles, as the post-apocalyptic FPS comes out on the same day as Anthem, Days Gone and Crackdown 3 now.
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Metro Exodus' Executive Producer Jon Bloch explained the reasoning behind the delay and its tough launch window. "Three other companies had the same idea! If we were coming out right before Christmas we'd be having the same conversation, right?" Bloch asked. "It seems like there are a lot of games coming out in the next year or so. We have to pick the date that makes the most sense for us and the most sense for the game. There's going to be competition no matter when we come out, right? We're not going to get our own perfect window of nobody else releasing a game, unless it's maybe like 1st January!"
"A lot of people tend to avoid the holidays unless they're already just a part of that process. Other companies try to get stuff out before their fiscal ends, so March tends to get busy," the producer said. The developer is currently focusing on finishing and polishing the final product and ironing out the game's niggly problems. No matter what the result will be, February 22, 2019 is a date to remember.
The year is 2036. A quarter-century after nuclear war devastated the earth, a few thousand survivors still cling to existence beneath the ruins of Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro. They have struggled against the poisoned elements, fought mutated beasts and paranormal horrors, and suffered the flames of civil war. But now, as Artyom, you must flee the Metro and lead a band of Spartan Rangers on an incredible, continent-spanning journey across post-apocalyptic Russia in search of a new life in the East. Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created.
Metro: Exodus will be releasing on February 22nd, 2019.