For those who have been excited about playing GSC Game World‘s new game Stalker 2, there is some more sad news afoot, I’m afraid. It turns out the long-awaited horror sequel has been delayed once more while the studio continues to improve it prior to launch.
Stalker 2 needs more work
The developer announced the new release date for Heart of Chornobyl – the subtitle for Stalker 2 – via a somewhat humorous and self-aware post. A short clip features a PDA message from Colonel Korshunov saying that the “zone will remain out of bounds until November 20,” followed by groans of disbelief from the player.
A further message posted underneath says the developer has decided to push back from the previous release date of September 5 in order to fix more “unexpected anomalies (or simply ‘bugs’ as you call them).”
GSC also announced a Developer Deep Dive, which will give fans “the full understanding of how the game plays and looks.” The video will premiere in collaboration with Xbox on August 12, and will feature interviews, behind-the-scenes, new footage, a walkthrough of one of the game’s quests, and more.
Despite the setback, most fans have been understanding when it comes to Stalker 2 being delayed, something that has happened multiple times during its development. It was originally due to come out at the end of 2022 but was pushed back due to the war in Ukraine, where the studio was located prior to the invasion.
Heart of Chornobyl is technically the fourth installment in the series, with Call of Pripyat releasing all the way back in 2009. This means Stalker 2 is a game that’s been in the pipeline for about 15 years. Hopefully, this is the last hurdle for the studio and November 20 will be the final launch date. We’ll no doubt know more during the Developer Deep Dive video.
