STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl will not be at the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday, June 11. STALKER 2 was given its proper gameplay reval at E3 2021 with a jaw-dropping trailer that has left fans buzzing about the game ever since.
E3 2023 has been canceled, but Xbox is still hosting an equivalent show. On Sunday, June 11 at 10am PT, Xbox gamers can tune in to the E3-equivalent Xbox Games Showcase to get updates on all the biggest games in the pipeline for Xbox Series X/S consoles. Those hoping to see Xbox console exclusive game STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl at the show will leave disappointed, however.
A GSC Game World representative responded to a fan on Steam asking about whether STALKER 2 would be at the Xbox Games Showcase or not. According to the developer, STALKER 2 will not be featured at any of the "June online conferences," meaning it will be missing the Xbox Games Showcase as well as other Summer Game Fest-related events. However, those looking forward to STALKER 2 can expect "important announcements in the upcoming months."
Some might take STALKER 2's absence from the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 as a sign that the long-awaited FPS won't be hitting its 2023 release date. STALKER 2's release date was originally planned for December 2022, but the decision was made to push it back to an undetermined point in 2023. STALKER 2 developer GSC Game World is headquartered in Ukraine, and so the ongoing Russian invasion of the country has understandably had a major impact on the game's development. So even if STALKER 2's release date is hit with another delay, it's likely that most fans will be completely understanding and happy to wait for the game as long as it takes.
In the meantime, STALKER 2 is certainly one of the most impressive Xbox console exclusive games on the horizon, and so its absence will certainly be felt come the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11. STALKER 2 is also a day one Xbox Game Pass game, so if it does slip out of 2023, it will be bad news for the subscription service's lineup this year.
Hopefully Xbox has some other heavy hitters on deck to help fill the void left by STALKER 2 at Sunday's showcase. It's been teased that Forza Motorsport and the new Fable game will both be at the show, plus fans can also look forward to the Starfield Direct event scheduled to take place immediately after the Xbox Games Showcase.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is scheduled to launch later in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X.