Highlights
- STALKER 2 's development faced war, cyberattacks, and fire, leading to delays until September 5, 2024.
- The game's subtitle was changed to Heart of Chornobyl amidst the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- GSC Game World has shown resilience despite setbacks and is finally nearing the release of STALKER 2 .
There are few studios that have been through as much as GSC Game World. During the development of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, it has had to deal with war, cyberattacks, and fire. Fortunately, the studio has endured and the release date for STALKER 2 is near.
STALKER 2 is a first-person shooter game that serves as the sequel to 2009's STALKER. All eyes are on GSC Game World to see if it can top its cult classic and if the long wait has been worth it.
GSC Game World Gives Long-Awaited Update on Stalker 2
The developer of the highly anticipated first-person survival horror game STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl gives an update and a new release window.
The Long Road to STALKER 2's release
STALKER 2 was originally slated for a 2012 release date in 2010. However, GSC Game World was not in a good financial position during this development period, and the studio experienced a slew of layoffs, leading to the studio eventually getting dissolved in 2011. Fortunately, the studio was reformed in 2014 and work began on STALKER 2 once again.
In 2021, it was announced that the game would be developed using Unreal Engine 5, and that it would be released on April 28, 2022. Things took a turn for the worse when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Due to the war, development was put on hold indefinitely as the studio relocated to Prague. Some of the team members joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
STALKER 2's Name's Change
Because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the game's release was delayed. The studio also decided to change the subtitle from Heart of Chernobyl to Heart of Chornobyl, which is the native Ukrainian Romanized form. The studio has encouraged fans to donate to the Ukrainian military to support its country in such a difficult time and also raised funds to help Ukrania-based charities.
STALKER 2 Fights Fire and Cyberattacks
In 2023, GSC Game World revealed that it was the victim of cyberattacks originating from Russia. Consequently. fans should be wary of leaks. In June 2023, the studio confirmed that an entire internet test build had been leaked. Because of all these setbacks, the game was delayed until 2024. Unfortunately, this would be far from the end of the problems faced by the studio.
In September 2023, the GSC Game World suffered a fire in its Prague offices. Nobody was hurt, and a GSC Game World representative stated that the matter is under investigation. Although the fire was quickly put out, it was revealed that an entire floor would require restoration. This did not leave the team defeated, as they have “dealt with worse than that before.”
STALKER 2's New Release Date
June 2024's Xbox Showcase turned things around a bit for the Ukranian developer, as a trailer for STALKER 2 was shown. Players got a look at some of the brutal combat, and the game's expansive open world, and it was also mentioned that the game will be released on September 5, 2024, on Game Pass, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.
It has been a long road to STALKER 2's release, but it appears that the finish line is finally in sight. In a few months, players will finally get to experience the long-awaited sequel to a cult classic horror game.
