the game is postponed again following poor previews

We will have to be patient, because STALKER 2 has just been postponed again, for next September, an 8 month unexpected postponement. This is the bad news that has just been shared by the GSC Game World studio which is having difficulty finishing its game. But this time, the studio does not justify this postponement following the difficulties linked to the war in Ukraine , his country, but admits that this delay of several months comes following poor feedback from journalists at Gamescom 2023, but also from players at local events. The opinions are therefore quite unanimous, particularly on the technique which many considered to be a downgrade compared to the promises on the official screenshots and of course the promotional videos. A long message was also posted on the studio’s Twitter account which took into account player feedback to avoid a cold shower at the time of release. While STALKER 2 was aiming for a release in early 2024, we now hope to see it next school year. We imagine that Microsoft will support the studio financially, since the game will be exclusive to Xbox and PC.

Dear Stalkers,

Last year at Gamescom 2023, we finally had the chance to meet in person. We gathered around a campfire with you to share something precious that we have created for you all these years: a small part of STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. Publicly, for the first time.

Our one-off initiative then turned into a campfire-to-campfire trip across France, Brazil, Singapore and other countries. Thousands of players were able to play the game themselves and then give us their much-needed feedback.

And as true friends always do, you shared your honest thoughts on the game. Both positive and negative, and we are grateful. Thanks to your thoughts, we have identified two key points: one to celebrate and one to seriously consider.

The first: the Zone remains the Zone. In its true beauty and in our image. The game looks and plays absolutely like STALKER, the atmosphere, the hardcore style, the harsh and unwelcoming environment are ready to cook, and we can’t be more grateful for these words, because they sum up both the key intention and main inspiration of the project from the beginning at the same time.

The second was this: the equipment in the backpack must be checked once again to be completely sure that it will not fail us when it is most needed. On a technical level, the game needs more time.

Throughout the development process, which was frankly difficult, we understood that time was the essence of the team. Seeing the scale of the development and understanding that we can’t stretch your patience too much, we were absolutely determined to release the game in Q1 2024, and we worked very hard to meet the release window.

However, this does not change the fact that at the start of the year, we were still witnessing a certain number of technical imperfections which held STALKER 2 below the expected standards for the final experience that our fans expect.

While there is absolutely no way to make another delay less attenuated, we have decided to be clear about our reasons for postponing the game for the sake of another round of polishing.

The final release date for STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl is now September 5, 2024.

We know you’ve been waiting for this moment, just like us. But preparation must be made so that the journey to the Zone goes smoothly and as planned. Thank you for your patience and continued support, and be prepared to see a lot of information about the game this year.