A hot potato: Just when you thought the Metro Exodus saga was settling, another controversy rears its head. In the wake of the game's exclusivity announcement and the subsequent review bombings of its predecessors, a developer from 4A Games said the next entry in the series wouldn't come to PC if Exodus is boycotted. But the company has assured fans that scenario won't happen.

Most people will be aware that Metro Exodus will be an Epic Games Store exclusive when it arrives on February 15. The decision was made by franchise publisher Deep Silver and its parent, Koch Media, but despite Exodus being cheaper on the new store---thanks to the more generous 12 percent cut Epic takes---many reviewed bombed Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light on Steam. It seems having to install a new launcher and the Epic Games Store's lack of features annoyed people more than expected.

Writing on the Gameinator Russian games forum, a 4A Games developer going by the name 'scynet' said it was sad that people were disregarding years of work because they didn't want the inconvenience of installing a new launcher. The dev added that if PC players decide to boycott Exodus, then the next installment in the Metro series won't come to the platform.

Soon after the news surfaced, 4A Games released an official response on social media. It emphasized that the decision to move Exodus from Steam, where it was available for pre-order, to the Epic Store was made by Koch Media / Deep Silver. It added that the recent comments were the individual developer's alone and "do not reflect Deep Silver's or 4A Games' view on the future of the franchise."

"They do reflect the hurt and disappointment of a passionate individual who has seen what was previously nothing but positive goodwill towards his work turn to controversy due to a business decision he had no control over."

4A Games confirmed that there were no plans for Metro to become a console exclusive. "We have every intention of continuing this franchise, and a PC version will always be at the heart of our plans," wrote the company.

Check out the game's system requirements to see if your PC can run Metro Exodus at 1080p,1440p, or 4K.