Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl is coming in 2022. Here’s what you need to know about the release date, gameplay trailer, multiplayer, and pre-orders.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2: Heart of Chernobyl is the next hotly anticipated entry in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise. The game is releasing 13 years after the last entry in the series, and it’s making its debut on consoles as an Xbox Series X exclusive. To get you up to date on the post-apocalyptic survival shooter, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2. Further reading S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2: Heart of Chernobyl was set to release on April 28, 2022, but in January 2022, developer GSC Game World announced that the game would be delayed for a massive seven more months until December 7,2022. The message accompanying the delay states that the extra time was needed to reach the level of quality a game of this scope needed and to allow for more testing and polish. They did mention that more of the game would be shown throughout the year as well. The game was originally announced in 2010 following the launch of Call of Pripyat. Developer GSC Game World worked on the project for a small window of time before dissolving as a company in 2011. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2 was officially canceled shortly after in 2012, citing issues between investors, staff, and the IP holder. A lot happened after that, with GSC Game World fracturing into multiple development studios and projects. The studio was revitalized in 2014 and re-announced S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2 in 2018. The game was officially unveiled during Microsoft’s Xbox Series X showcase in 2020 with an in-engine demo. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2: Heart of Chernobyl is an Xbox console exclusive. The game is launching on Xbox Series X and Series S, as well as PC. When it launches, the game will be available through Xbox Game Pass. Although a release date for PlayStation 5 hasn’t been announced, leaked internal documents revealed that the game will only be a console exclusive for three months. That doesn’t mean the game is coming to PS5, though. Tetris Effect: Connected was also named in the documents with six months of console exclusivity. This updated version is coming to PS4 in July, but not PS5.
