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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

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Wiki "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2" redirects here. For the cancelled game, see S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (2012). For the concept game, see S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (2002).

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a next-gen sequel to the award-winning PC game franchise developed by GSC Game World, set to deliver a unique action experience of survival in the post-apocalyptic Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.
― GSC Game World

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl[note] is an upcoming first-person shooter and survival horror video game developed by GSC Game World and the fourth installment in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series.

Initially announced after the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, development of the game was halted in 2012, the year of its intended release, following the dissolution of GSC Game World[1]. Development eventually resumed six years later, powered by Unreal Engine 5, with a target release in 2021. Following multiple delays, the release of the game is currently scheduled for November 20, 2024.


Development[]

Development Timeline
Date Event description
May 15, 2018 Six years after the cancellation of the original game, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was announced for a 2021 release by GSC Game World's Twitter account[2].
May 16, 2018 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was announced by Sergiy Grygorovych, owner of GSC Game World, the developer behind S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. He made the announcement on his Facebook page and news has spread around various gaming sites. The official teaser site, consisting of only a front page featuring the acronym S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 written in a large font, a year of presumed release and an e-mail address, has been also revealed.
Over the course of 2018 A challenge to "decipher" a code was posted on a GSC Game World Facebook page. Shortly thereafter, the Official GSC Twitter announced that part of the "Code" has been solved. A fan subtracted the year of the Chornobyl Disaster, 1986, from 2021, and got 35. The fan mentioned this oddity and thought it was of some significance. GSC has confirmed that this is part of some sort of code. An image of the number 35 was posted onto the official GSC Twitter account, in the font style of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 teaser website.
March 21-29, 2019 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 website was updated with a font change for the title and animated concept art featuring an unknown man wearing a gas mask. New social media links, some music and download links for said music and the concept art were also included, as well as images of previous games in the STALKER franchise alongside links to buy them from GOG and Steam, and finally an option to sign up for news.
July 23, 2020 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 website was updated again, coinciding with the first trailer for the game being released on GSC Game World's YouTube channel. Said trailer was prominently displayed on the page, along with new music and concept art available to download, and an FAQ section giving further details about the game.
March 26, 2021 ID@Xbox YouTube channel showed a diary of the game's development. Zakhar Bocharov told information about the game and showed several renders of three factions: Duty, Freedom and Bandits. A new plugin was also shown. It makes variety of the same model more diverse.
June 13, 2021 The day of the Xbox and Microsoft game reveals at E3 2021, GSC Game World gave a release date of April 28th, 2022. During the event, they showed a trailer which starts off with the protagonist named Skif sitting around a campfire with 4 stalkers named Curly Vitya, Liolik, Mitay, and an unknown stalker. The trailer then cuts to Skif assaulting the Chemical Plant full of Bandit enemies, showing off the new gunplay in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The trailer cuts to one of Clear Sky's old lookout towers, which is surrounded by an anomaly field. The trailer then shows a Flesh getting ripped apart by an anomaly. Skif pulls out a new detector called "Gilka-1" and finds an artifact called "Jelly", which recovers stamina in-game. The trailer then cuts to the interior of a building in the city of Chornobyl. In it, Skif can be seen asking Bolshak, a technician from an area in the Zone called Chornobyl-2, how to get into the "Basement." The trailer then shows Skif exploring an abandoned lab, presumably Lab X-18. Skif then gets ambushed by a Bloodsucker, showing off the new textures even more. The trailer then cuts to Skif having a conversation with the Stranger on the top of the unfinished Reactor. On it, Skif is confronted by the Stranger, who says that the Zone couldn't be free if the man Skif killed off-screen survives. He then goes on to say that the Zone gave him a new life. It should be noted that the Stranger is seen wearing a Helmetless SEVA Suit. This scene shows off the new photogrammetry processes used in the game. It is also worth mentioning that GSC Game World has confirmed the Stranger is an old face from the original trilogy. The trailer cuts to a destroyed building near the famous Duga Radar, now covered in Electro anomalies. Skif, can be seen firing a Gauss Rifle multiple times. The trailers cuts back to the campfire a final time, showing off a fifth stalker named Sergiy saying "Good hunting, Stalker." when Skif gets up to leave for Pripyat. Sergiy is none other than Sergiy Grygorovych, the founder of GSC Game World.
January 12, 2022 GSC Game World announced S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 had been delayed until December 8th 2022 citing the requirement for "thorough testing and polishing" as reason[3].
February 24, 2022 The Russian invasion of Ukraine started. GSC Game World posted a statement on their socials[4].
March 14, 2022 GSC Game World decided to change the subtitle of the game to "Heart of Chornobyl", the Ukrainian and correct spelling for "Chernobyl", in support of Ukraine[5].
May 2022 GSC Game World relocated a chunk of their workforce to an office in Prague, Czech Republic to continue the development[6]. At the beginning of 2024, it was mentioned in a Guardian article that 150+ employees remain in Ukraine[7]
June 12, 2022 It was announced at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase that the game was aiming for a release in 2023[8]. On June 14, GSC Game World showcased the opening cinematic of the game at the Xbox Games Showcase Extended 2022[9]. This was accompanied by a developer diary in which the developers talked about the impact of the war on the lives and careers of GSC's employees[10].
September 7, 2022 It was reported that Microsoft had begun to refund players who had pre-ordered the game on the Xbox Series X|S consoles due to uncertainties in the game's release date[11]. Later that month, GSC Game World denied rumors that the game was undergoing issues in its development at the time and that the game was still aimed to release in 2023.[12].
December 29, 2022 The official trailer "Come to Me"[13] was published on GSC Game World's official YouTube channel.
March 12, 2023 GSC Game World has stated that they have been enduring constant cyberattacks for over a year and warned of potential future leaks and spoilers[14].
June 1, 2023 GSC Game World has stated that a development build has been leaked to the public[15].
August 2023 A playable demo of the game was made available at Gamescom[16]. Days before Gamescom, it was also confirmed in the official fact sheet that the release of the game had been delayed once more, to Q1 2024[17].
August 24, 2023 The "Bolts & Bullets" Trailer[18] was released on the official YouTube channel of GSC Game World. The presentation sparked some criticism over the game being "downgraded" compared to what had been showcased before, a complaint that was addressed by GSC Game World officials[19].
November 30, 2023 A new Trailer titled "Strider"[20] was released on GSC Game World's official YouTube channel, giving stalkers a new foretaste of the story they will experience.
January 16, 2024 GSC Game World published a new Teaser on the official YouTube channel setting the final release date to September 5, 2024[21].
April 26, 2024 A new short trailer "Not a Paradise" was released on GSC Game World's official YouTube channel featuring new looks at the Zone and Story.
June 8, 2024 News broke out that a new Demo was available for press at Summer Game Fest 2024. Press was allowed to play 30+ minutes from the beginning of the game. The overall impressions from various journalists was very positive.
June 9, 2024 A new Gameplay Trailer "The Time of Opportunities" was released on GSC Game World's official YouTube channel, showcasing a few arch-anomalies, some gunfights, pieces of story and more.
July 25, 2024 GSC Game World released a short video titled "Really, Again?", delaying the release date to November 20th, 2024 in order for GSC to fix additional bugs[22].
August 12, 2024 GSC released a deep dive video showcasing some of the work being put into the game, as well as a short mission taking place in the Swamps. Skif has to turn off psi-field emitters set up by E. F. Kalancha before Clear Sky began the raid on the CNPP.
August 22, 2024 The demo from Summer Game Fest 2024 was shown off to the public at Gamescom 2024. It showed the first episode of the story, where Skif enters the Zone with the help of Prof. Hermann and has to use a scanner to revive an artifact.
August 23, 2024 GSC gives an interview at Gamescom. "Scar" trailer[23] is released showing the return of Scar, now leading the Spark faction.
August 30, 2024 GSC posts an article about Hermann and his role within the plot of Stalker 2.[24]

Release[]

Stalker2 art uhd

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Header concept art

The game is currently scheduled for release on November 20, 2024[22].It will be available on the Xbox Series X|S consoles and Windows PC. Additionally, it will be available through the Xbox Game Pass[25] on day one. On PC, the game will be distributed by Steam[26], GOG[27] and Epic Games Store[28]. Though the game is currently exclusive to Microsoft platforms, leaked documents from the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit have suggested that this exclusivity could be only for three months after release[29].

Trailers[]

Promotional Images[]

See also[]

General information[]

Articles[]

Notes[]

  • ^[note] The game was initially subtitled Heart of Chernobyl, but the subtitle was changed to the anglicized Ukrainian spelling of the name on March 14, 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine

References[]

  1. ↑ S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 canceled
  2. ↑ Twitter - GSC Game World
  3. ↑ STALKER 2 delayed until December
  4. ↑ Twitter - GSC Game World
  5. ↑ Stalker 2 renamed Heart of Chornobyl to reflect Ukrainian spelling
  6. ↑ GSC Game World are back working on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 again
  7. ↑ ‘At this point it’s not just a game’: the making of Ukrainian RPG Stalker 2 – during wartime
  8. ↑ STALKER 2 Now Targeting the First Half of 2023, According to New Xbox Graphic
  9. ↑ Xbox Games Showcase Extended 2022: Everything Announced and Shown
  10. ↑ STALKER 2 Studio Shares a Moving Look at Life and Work in Ukraine Right Now
  11. ↑ Stalker 2 Pre-Orders Are Being Refunded Following Delay To An "Unconfirmed Date In The Future"
  12. ↑ STALKER 2 Will Not be Released Until 2024-2025, It’s Claimed
  13. ↑ https://youtu.be/BB87nZ2Wldg
  14. ↑ STALKER 2 developer suffers Russia-linked security breach: 'We have been enduring constant cyberattacks for more than a year now
  15. ↑ GSC Game World says Russian hackers are leaking Stalker 2 test builds, please don't look at them
  16. ↑ S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL
  17. ↑ STALKER 2 Is Delayed to Q1 2024, Says Official Fact Sheet
  18. ↑ https://youtu.be/bcDHClWRHd8
  19. ↑ STALKER 2 Devs Discuss ‘Imperfect’ gamescom 2023 Demo, Address ‘Downgrade’ Debate
  20. ↑ https://youtu.be/XNGbS0fY80s
  21. ↑ YouTube - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl — Final Release Date Announcement
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl — Really, Again?
  23. ↑ https://youtu.be/b9xT_kNnlsk
  24. ↑ https://www.stalker2.com/en/news/characters-hermann
  25. ↑ Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl Launches In April 2022, On Xbox Games Pass At Launch
  26. ↑ Steam page
  27. ↑ GOG page
  28. ↑ https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/stalker-2-heart-of-chornobyl/
  29. ↑ S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Could Come to PS5 Three Months After Release
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