Metro 2039 is coming to Gamescom with its first playable demo — here's the full schedule
Ukrainian studio 4A Games is bringing Metro 2039 to Gamescom 2026 with its first publicly playable demo, running August 26–30 at the 4A Games and Xbox booth in Hall 9.1. The game already passed 1 million wishlists within two weeks of its April reveal — per AllThings.How, Embracer Group called it the fastest wishlist milestone in company history. Release is locked for February 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store).
The schedule
4A Games and publisher Deep Silver have laid out a packed reveal week around the Cologne show. A "don't miss" global social media announcement drops on August 24, followed by a new gameplay trailer during the Gamescom Opening Night Live ceremony on the evening of August 25. Press previews — journalists who got early hands-on time with a section of the game — go live on August 26, the same day the public demo opens on the show floor.
Metro 2039 will have its first public playable demo at Gamescom 2026, Hall 9.1.
The game
Metro 2039 marks a first for the series: a fully voiced protagonist. The Stranger is a character who once left the Moscow Metro and is returning years later to challenge the authoritarian Novoreich regime, led by Hunter — a figure he once knew as a member of the Spartan Order.
The story has been significantly reworked since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The studio, which Stevivor describes as a majority-Ukrainian team now spanning 25-plus nationalities, says the narrative shifted to focus on "the cost of securing a future" — with tyranny, silence, and freedom as central themes. In a pointed move, there will be no Russian localization at all, not even subtitles.
What's still unknown
No price has been announced. Game Pass Day 1 inclusion hasn't been confirmed either, which is unusual given the Xbox partnership — GamesRadar notes Metro 2039 is heading into a crowded February 2027 window alongside other major titles. Metro Exodus sold over 10 million copies across five years; this one faces a stiffer opening-month competition. The Gamescom hands-on should give the clearest picture yet of whether the new direction pays off.
