Shown off briefly as a marquee console-exclusive coming to the Xbox Series X, STALKER 2 was easily one of the biggest announcements from Microsoft last year. The developer of the game, GSC Game World, has been relatively tight-lipped on the title in the months since, revealing little about what the new iteration of the cult-classic apocalyptic survival game would be about or would feature.
That was until a few days ago, when the studio unveiled new details about its long-awaited STALKER follow-up and the technical qualities players can expect from it on the Xbox Wire blog. The update clarifies that the game will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch, meaning those unfamiliar with STALKER and its unique style of gameplay will be able to dip their toes in on the day of release without making a full investment.
Alongside the clarification of STALKER 2's Game Pass release, the article also discusses more about its new lead character and the threats he'll have to face. Known as Skif, GSC claims that the protagonist's journey will see him make decisions that "shape the new grand chapter in the history of the Zone." Although GSC never goes into detail about the protagonist and his goals, it seems likely he'll be striving to reach the center of the apocalyptic Zone, with previous iterations of the series generally centering around characters looking to reach the location due to its otherworldly powers.
The game will also feature 4K visuals on Xbox Series X and ray tracing, ensuring that it's offering state of the art technology befitting of its debut on consoles. In terms of the technology being used to power STALKER 2, GSC claims that the SSD has been a big help, while also citing that both Series S and Series X versions of the title will utilize RTX support. The team has no firm announcement of a release date, but do claim that production is going smoothly so far.
For those who missed the announcement of STALKER 2 last year, the game will be coming to both Xbox Series X and PC. It'll be the first entry in the STALKER franchise since 2009's Call of Pripyat, once again taking place in the series' post-apocalyptic Russian setting: The Zone. Although never reaching mainstream status, previous iterations of the franchise found a lot of popularity amongst PC players due to their harsh survival gameplay and gripping atmosphere, as players had to survive radioactively mutated horrors and other hostile survivors. The new entry looks to be a thrilling and far more technologically savvy take on the idea.
STALKERÂ 2Â is currently in development for PC and Xbox Series X.
Source: Xbox Wire