S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl - New Details, Release Date, and What to Expect from the Sequel

GamesBeat has released a new interview revealing details about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

Unlike the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, the sequel has moved away from its inspiration, the book Roadside Picnic. Only a few core elements remain, such as anomalies of unknown origin, artifacts with mysterious effects, and devices used by the protagonist to detect these anomalies. Everything else in the game will be completely new.

Given the time that has passed since the original games, the developers understand that today’s audience demands something fresh and more captivating. The storyline, in fact, has been completely rewritten six times, with the professional writer starting from scratch each time until the team was fully satisfied with the outcome. It's important to note that the story will be nonlinear, featuring three different endings, with no definitive canon.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the war, power outages, and six delays, GSC Game World never considered canceling S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. It has been confirmed that the game will avoid any overt aggression toward russia, instead focusing on promoting Ukrainian culture. The developers aim to make a stand on the cultural front through their art.

The studio also confirmed that the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is just the beginning. The game will continue to evolve with active development based on player feedback. Future updates are expected to include modding tools, ray tracing technology, two story expansions, and a multiplayer mode.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is scheduled for release on November 20 for Xbox Series X|S, PC (via Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG), and through Game Pass.