When the Plaion Store seemingly leaked the release date of STALKER 2 (December 1st), fans were hoping that would turn out to be true. After all, the last word from developer GSC Game World was still December 2023, as currently still listed on the Steam page.
Moreover, the fact that the game is playable at Gamescom 2023 lent more credence to the release date leak. However, when a release date trailer did not materialize at Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live show, I knew a delay was likely in order.
This has been essentially confirmed by the updated fact sheet available at this URL on the official website: STALKER 2 is now scheduled for Q1 2024 on PC and Xbox Series S|X (a PlayStation 5 version is likely coming out in Q2, given the known three-month exclusivity window acquired by Microsoft). The fact sheet also says pre-orders are live through the website, Steam, and GOG. That's not the case yet, but it could change in the next few hours - August 24th is Ukraine's Independence Day and will likely bear the formal announcement.
The updated STALKER 2 fact sheet also includes the following details on the game:
The unique combination of first-person shooter, immersive sim, and horror is back. Immerse yourself in the intricately detailed open world, accompanied by next-gen graphics and a rich narrative, all enveloped within the intense atmosphere of a deadly adventure. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2:
Heart of Chornobyl aims to be the pinnacle S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience, featuring a unique, distinctive world and a story that is shaped by the player's choices.
- Play a major part in a branching cinematic story that unfolds in the setting of a local post-apocalyptic dark science fiction landscape.
- Experience one-of-a-kind gameplay, featuring the elements of a firstperson shooter, immersive sim, and horror.
- Survival mechanics that hinge on searching for crucial and valuable supplies: food, drinks, meds to survive the harsh conditions, (un)natural hazards and hostile locals.
- Shed light on the dark secrets of these lands, hunt mutants, and explore the mysterious anomalies in search of precious artifacts with game changing affinities.
- Try to survive in tactical firefights against various enemies and more than 30 firearm models, yours to upgrade and customize.
- Experience benchmark-setting graphics powered by the Unreal Engine 5
STALKER 2's long and troubled development life is finally about to end, if a bit later than fans had hoped. GSC Game World had originally announced this sequel in 2010 for a 2012 launch, but the developer actually disbanded in late 2011. The studio got back together in December 2014 and started making Cossacks 3. However, their real goal was to return to STALKER 2, which was re-announced in 2018 for a targeted 2021 launch window. The first concrete date shared by the studio was April 28th, 2022, which shifted again to December 2022. Then, the Russia-Ukraine war suddenly exploded, forcing the Ukrainian developers to pause work for a few months while they got their bearings.
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