What you need to know
- Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an upcoming first-person survival shooter being developed and published by GSC Game World.
- The game has been delayed numerous times, primarily due to the studio being affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl was slated to launch early on in 2024, but now has a release date of Sept. 5, 2024.
- Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is launching on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, and is available day one on Xbox Game Pass.
The Zone's call is getting stronger and stronger.
GSC Game World shared on Tuesday that Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is delayed to Sept. 5, 2024. While the game had been slated to launch at some point in the first quarter of the year, this delay is meant to help ensure everything is as polished as possible. Alongside the release date announcement, GSC Game World shared a brief in-game clip of some Stalkers enjoying a campfire, which you can check out below:
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is launching a timed Xbox Series X|S console exclusive, in addition to being available on Windows PC through Steam, the Epic Game Store, and GOG. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will also be available day one in Xbox Game Pass.
Stalker 2 has been delayed numerous times
Game development is never easy, but Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has had an especially rough road to launch, with the developers heavily impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war has had a trickle-down effect on game development everywhere, but especially on companies directly located in the conflict. As a Ukrainian company, hundreds of developers were evacuated to Prague, while others stayed behind to fight the invasion.
Development completely stopped at one point, and some of the people who worked on the game have been killed in the ongoing conflict. In order to help ensure the studio is financially successful, the price of Stalker 2's ultimate edition went up several months ago.
Analysis: Hopeful for a big win
Big games are always a hard-fought success, and that's more literal with Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl than is the norm. I've been interested in this game since it was first announced, and I'll definitely be checking it out when it arrives. If the team needs to take even more time, it's understandable given the circumstances being worked in, but I really do think this release date is going to stick.
