STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl has been officially delayed to the end of the year, developer GSC has confirmed. The new release date is now set for December 8th, 2022.
Whether the game will still launch simultaneously for PC and Xbox Series X|S has been detailed – if this was the case then GSC would have likely highlighted this in its statement.
The massive, seven-month delay will give the team more time to polish the post apocalyptic shooter. Hopefully we’ll actually get to see more of STALKER 2 in action now that the road to release has been extended.
Here’s what GSC said about its decision to push the title back:
Stalkers,
We have made a decision to postpone the release of STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl to December 8th, 2022.
These additional seven months of development are needed to fulfil our vision and achieve the desired state of the game. STALKER 2 is the biggest project in the history of GSC, and it requires thorough testing and polishing. We are convinced that development should take as long as necessary, especially in the case of such a project.
This decision is not an easy one, but we are doing the best possible to deliver you a game that can live up to the expectations.
With more information, updates and showcases coming, we have an exciting and important year ahead. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
With love, GSC Game World team.
At this point, the controversy surrounding STALKER 2’s development almost outweighs fans’ fascination with the first game that launched many years ago. A grimly immersive first person shooter set within the remnants of Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone, STALKER wowed with its bleak yet brilliant visuals and light RPG influences.
Quickly followed up by two expansions, developer GSC fell apart while working on its hotly-anticipated sequel. After years of rumour and speculation, the studio would return from the dead and it looked like we would be playing STALKER in early 2022.
Hopefully some extra time spent in the oven (or microwave, because radiation) will have a marked impact on the sequel’s final stretch.
