To say that Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl had a rough development is a massive understatement. The upcoming survival horror game is getting delayed once again.
GSC Game World, the studio behind Stalker 2, recently released a press kit for Stalker 2 which gave fans a rundown of what to expect from the upcoming horror shooter. According to the studio, the game will have elements of a first-person shooter, immersive sim, and horror game. The upcoming title will also see players survive tactical gunfights using 30 different guns that they can customize and upgrade. The shooter will also be featuring stunning visuals courtesy of the Unreal 5 engine.
While all these things sound very exciting, at the bottom of the press kit, GSC revealed that Stalker 2 is coming out in the first quarter of 2024. There is no specific date mentioned for the release of the game. However, the release window seems promising as pre-orders are now available on the game’s official website, Steam, and GOG.
Stalker 2 is coming exclusively to PC and Xbox and will be available on the Xbox Game Pass right from the start. The timed console exclusivity will only reportedly last for three months, so players on the PlayStation 5 can expect the title to arrive a bit later.
With that said, GSC released a new trailer for Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl. The one-and-a-half-minute-long trailer showcased some of the weapons and environments present in the survival horror game. The teaser also highlighted an anomaly that seemingly destroys objects in an instant.
Stalker 2 was present at Gamescom 2023 with the studio offering a playable demo of the upcoming title. However, most of the attendees at the said event didn’t speak highly of the playable demo for the game, saying that the game needed to be polished more.
Delays in the release of Stalker 2 are to be expected given the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. The studio had to halt the development of the game and move its production team to Prague at the start of the conflict. Fans of the game have given support to the studio and are patiently waiting for the title to be released.
Will we be seeing Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl release early next year? We certainly hope so. With that said, GSC Game World can take as much time as it needs to release a title that lives up to the series.
