The Metro: Last Light dev team at 4A Games have posted a candid blog update to let fans know that their anticipated post-apocalyptic shooter sequel will be shipping without it's intended multiplayer component.

The news is hardly a detraction, as Last Light's promoters had not yet provided any details on what form the game's multiplayer would take, and the previous game Metro 2033 was single-player only, and widely praised for its storytelling.

Throughout the development of Metro: Last light a small, dedicated team had been working on a number of multiplayer prototypes. After E3, we decided to fold this multiplayer team back into the main group and focus 100% of the studio’s resources on the single player campaign. As a result, Metro: Last Light will not ship with a multiplayer component.

A brief Q&A explains that although they don't want to waste the efforts already invested in multiplayer, they have not formulated any plans to package it as post-release content, and that the game is still on target for it's early 2013 launch.

A couple of months back, in August, our interview with Metro publisher THQ's Huw Beynon reinforced the team's original intent to implement multiplayer in way that suited the game, and wasn't just tacked on out of obligation:

We’ve kind of been deliberately clear upfront that it was something that we’ve been doing. We’ve also tried to be very clear that it was something that the studio wanted to do -- it’s not something that’s been forced on them. We had prototypes up and running for 2033, and it was really resources more than anything that prevented us from realising those things in the first game.

They all have a very strong interest and background in multiplayer. It’s also really important for us to... Metro got to where it was because of the campaign. We’ve got an extremely passionate fanbase, and I want to be absolutely clear to you that we’ve not forgotten that that’s why people loved the first game.

Our commitment is to create a campaign that’s as long, and ideally significantly better -- certainly much more polished -- and you will absolutely get that from the game. So that’s why we’ve focused on campaign and story so much so far, so when we do finally show you the multiplayer, hopefully it will surprise you. You’ll have to wait and see.

Metro: Last Light is due in early 2013 for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.