Summary
GSC Game World, the Ukrainian developer behind the upcomingSTALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, has given an update on the long-awaited first-person survival horror game, including a release window of Q1 2024. Development of the first game in the franchise to be released in 15 years has been beset with a series of hurdles, not the least of which was theSTALKER 2development team relocating from Ukraineto the Czech Republic due to the ongoing war with Russia that began in February 2022.
Over the course of that year, work on the game was paused for two months and several team members left to join the fight in Ukraine, where oneSTALKER 2developer tragically lost his life. Then, in March 2023, Russian hackers leaked work-in-progress images and artwork of the game and threatened to release gigabytes more. GSC Game World later revealed that it had been battling to keep the hackers out of its servers for 16 months and warned that a variety of materials, which were not release ready, had been stolen.
Understandably,STALKER 2,which was originally planned for a 2022 release, has been delayed and there have been very few updates on the game’s status. But on November 30,STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylwon PC Gamer’s Most Wanted PC Game award. The studio’s acceptance speech was delivered in the form of a video, during which GSC Game World CEO Yevhen Grygorovych mentioned that the game is in the final stages of development. This was followed by a new trailer that revealed thatSTALKER 2will be coming to consoles and PC sometime in Q1 2024.
When Will Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl Release?
Fans also noticed that the trailer mentioned Game Pass, a reminder thatSTALKER 2will be coming to Xbox Game Pass on day oneand will launch as a Microsoft exclusive. However, documents leaked in 2021 via the Epic Games v. Apple court case revealed that this exclusivity will only last for three months, and the game will then be available for purchase from Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG. It’s not clear if there will ever be a PlayStation release. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that plans may have changed in the years since the documents leaked.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyltruly has been a long time coming. Its first iteration was originally intended to come out in 2012, with development announced right after the launch ofCall of Pripyat, the third game in the franchise. After a cancellation, GSC Game World revealed in 2018 that the fourth entry was again in development, and since then, the occasional screenshots andtrailers forSTALKER 2have gotten fans very excited. For many, the upcoming survival horror title certainly deserved to earn the Most Wanted PC Game award.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
WHERE TO PLAY
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a sequel to the award-winning game franchise developed by GSC Game World. Experience one-of-a-kind gameplay, featuring the elements of a first-person shooter, immersive sim, and horror. The Chornobyl Exclusion Zone is a unique, dangerous and ever-changing environment. It promises a lot — the artifacts of unbelievable value can be yours if you dare to claim them. The price you may pay, on the other hand, is no less than your own life. One of the biggest open-worlds to date, filled with radiation, mutants and anomalies, is yours to explore. All the choices across the way not only define your own epic story, but influence the future itself. Be mindful about what you see, do and plan, as you will have to find your way through the Zone or be forever lost to it.
