S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Arrives on Xbox Game Pass and PC

Written by Brandon Hofer on November 21, 2024

News: Game Pass members can now play the new game in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise for free as part of their membership.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now available on PC and Xbox Series X/S, marking the end of a long and challenging development cycle that included the pandemic, relocations, cyberattacks, a fire in the Prague office, and, above all, the ongoing war in Ukraine, which continues to devastate the developers' Homeland.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. takes place in a fictional Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. The nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl Power Plant in 1986 wasn’t the only one to occur, as the second explosion hit the reactor in 2006, creating the Zone. It’s a dangerous place, filled with mutated creatures, deadly radiation, and a strange, anomalous energy.

Bounty hunters delve deep into the Zone, driven by its treasures and mysteries. Some of them are running from their past, others are blinded by money, and some are obsessed with finding the truth behind all the mysteries.

You will take the role of Skif - a lone stalker, who enters the Zone after a series of unforeseen events. On the way to the Heart of Chornobyl, you will gradually uncover the secrets of this world, explore the balance of power between factions, fight, and survive. In this non-linear story, every choice you make will impact the outcome of this global and epic tale, featuring three hours of scripted cutscenes. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, photogrammetry technology, and the developers' regular visits to the real Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, the authenticity and atmosphere that have always been the hallmark of the series are better than ever.

“It feels utterly surreal to say that, but after more than 7 years in the making, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is now released. That’s totally wild. So was the whole development story. What started as the most ambitious game by GSC eventually turned out to be an ultimate personal challenge. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was always supposed to be a truly Ukrainian product, showing our culture to the world in the ongoing effort of the nation to be recognized. I truly believe the team we have consists of exceptional people, but I never actually thought they would be finishing the game under the circumstances like these. Despite all the odds, it’s there. Our biggest game, our own story, our love letter to Ukraine. All the time, effort and passion we put into this is about to be witnessed by the players from all around the globe. After 15 years, the doors to the Zone will be opened once again,” says Ievgen Grygorovych, CEO and Game Director.

The game was finished amidst Russian full-fledged aggression towards Ukraine. War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a full-length documentary about this game development. It was created in collaboration with Xbox, and it gives a deep insight of what the team went through. It is highly recommended to watch it before playing the game, since it gives the important context.

Additionally, the developers had this following message:

”The war in Ukraine continues. GSC Game World has been supporting our home country in all the ways we can. For those willing to do the same, we recommend following a link to the official charity fund of Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine himself: https://u24.gov.ua/.”