STALKER 2 transports players back to the Zone’s radioactive wasteland, so here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming game, including its release date, trailer, and platforms.
For those unfamiliar with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, the game’s plot revolves around the infamous Chernobyl Disaster of 1986, in which a nuclear reactor near Pripyat, Ukraine melted down on April 26, resulting in one of the worst nuclear disasters in human history.
In the alternate timeline of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the exclusion zone around Chernobyl, known as “The Zone,” experienced another explosion 20 years later in 2006 — just before the original game was released in 2007 — after scientists set up shop to study the anomalies and other phenomena occurring within the disaster’s radius.
This not-so-deserted nuclear wasteland left behind by these events serves as the setting for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The Zone appears to be more beautiful, lethal, and deceivingly desolate than ever before, so here’s everything you need to know, from release date to platforms and trailers.
STALKER 2 Release Date
Unfortunately, there is no longer a release date for S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2.
It was supposed to be released on April 28, 2022, but it was pushed back to December 8, 2022.STALKER 2 was supposed to be released on April 28, 2022, but it was pushed back to December 2022 in January 2022, and then again to 2023 after the conflict in Ukraine erupted. Currently, the game is still scheduled to release sometime in 2023, though no specific date for STALKER 2 has been announced.
The developers confirmed the news on Twitter, explaining that the game requires more time to be up to par. Here’s the complete tweet:
— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) January 12, 2022
While this will undoubtedly disappoint series fans, others may argue that a delay is often preferable to an incomplete game at launch.
GSC Game World, the game’s Kyiv-based developers, announced in March 2022 that work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 had “shifted to the sidelines” due to world events. However, in a May 2022 Discord chat, the team confirmed that work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 now “continues” in response to a fan question.
STALKER 2 Trailer
Gameplay And Presentation Of Stalker 2: Heart Of Chernobyl
Horror-shooter gameplay defines the STALKER series. Original STALKER games had intense, nerve-wracking encounters. You always felt like you could die in the Zone, whether you were fighting mutants or mercenaries. Cover and gun/armor maintenance were crucial to success.
Food and drugs were needed to control hunger and radiation levels. Non-linear structure, with smaller maps connected to form an open world.
From what we know about STALKER 2, it will deliver a similar experience. GSC Game World calls the game a “unique blend of FPS, immersive sim, and horror” with “one of the biggest open worlds to date.” The game is also described as having “fast-paced changes of scenery, ominous landscapes, and the ever-present feeling of an inevitable danger” According to PC Gamer UK’s January 2021 issue, STALKER 2 will emphasize survival mechanics and penalize players for not taking care of their character.
GSC Game World also confirmed that the game will include new locations, mutants, artifacts, and anomalies. An irradiated mutant deer uses its bones as armor and weapons against stalkers and can control other mutants and create illusory copies of itself.
Ward, a faction that aims to police and control The Zone, is among the new weapons, outfits, and factions. GSC Game World will make STALKER 2 mod-friendly to please PC gamers. STALKER 2 will get Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch in a free post-launch update. No other details about the experience are known at this time.
The STALKER 2 trailer shown at the Xbox Series X July event in 2020 may be indicative of the final product. STALKER 2 supports ray tracing. The developers want each stalker in The Zone to be unique by giving NPCs distinct features. Many stalkers lack teeth or crowns.
What engine powers STALKER 2?
Though Stalker 2 was previously planned for Unreal 4, it has now been shifted to the much-anticipated Unreal 5. A change in the engine may have contributed to the initial delay, pushing its release date into 2022.
This engine change brings a slew of improvements, including some rather lovely characters and weapons. When confronted with enemies in the Zone, we can now expect to see both the whites of their eyes and the not-so-whites of their teeth.
This time, the world is truly open
The maps in the first two Stalker games were large, but they weren’t completely open worlds. While they were large, they were divided into chunks and you had to travel between them via a few specific access points.
Stalker 2 will be a true open-world experience. “For the first time in the series,” GSC Game World says, “the Zone will be yours to explore as a post-apocalyptic open-world—one of the largest to date.”
About what is STALKER 2?
The plot hasn’t been fully revealed, but the scenario sounds familiar from the previous games. “Bounty hunters explore the Zone extensively, drawn by its mysteries and treasures. Some of them are avoiding their past, others are being blinded by wealth, and some are driven to obsession by the desire to unravel all the mysteries.”
The plot will be non-linear, and according to GSC, “Your decisions will have an impact on both local effects and overall results.”
Pre-ordering STALKER 2
Your preferred retailer is accepting pre-orders for Stalker 2 right now. You receive the following things if you do:
- extended content for the campfire
- special weapon skin
- special armor skin
- Early bird multiplayer achievement
Additionally, there are a variety of ways to purchase the game, including the Deluxe Edition, which includes in-game cosmetics, and the Ultimate Edition, which includes the story expansions and season pass.
FAQ:
Will Stalker 2 allow for modding?
A passionate modding community keeps Stalker fresh. GSC will support Stalker 2 modders. “We’ll make modding easy from the start.
Do I need to play the previous Stalker games before playing Stalker 2?
True. Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat are two excellent Stalker games.GSC Game World agrees: yes. GSC’s website says “Stalker 2 is a standalone project” and “Complete previous games for maximum immersion.” Yes. Certainly. Begin!
