Stalker 2 release date? Development continues after Ukraine victory

Originally scheduled to release on 28th April 2022, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl was delayed earlier this year and was set to release on 8th December 2022. At the time, this was due to the developers needing more time for "thorough testing and polishing". The developers GSC Game World's headquarters are based in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Following the 24th of February, as the Russian forces invaded Ukraine, we've seen multiple game developers and esports organizations boycott Russia. 

With GSC Game World being one of the largest game developers in Ukraine, they have provided an update on their current situation, shifting the development of Stalker 2 to the sidelines.

What is Stalker 2's release date?

GSC Game World was busy editing a video showing off their motion capture studio and how cutscenes are being created for Stalker 2. And then, things changed.

CGS Game World explains in a video (view at the bottom of this article): "On the 24th of February, Russia declared war on Ukraine and sent rockets, tanks, and soldiers to our homeland. Our country is forced to fight for existence again. Seems like this is the price of freedom."

The video answers the question "How are you guys?". The developers noted that they are striving to help their employees as well as their families survive. As such, Stalker 2 development has shifted to the sidelines. The video showcases harrowing clips of attacks and strikes in Ukraine.

Since development has shifted to the sidelines, for now, CGS Game World did note that they will definitely continue their work "After the victory." and ended off the message with "Glory to Ukraine".

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Therefore, there's really no telling exactly when Stalker 2 will release at this point, and it shouldn't matter. Instead, fans should care about the developers and their families, if that wasn't abundantly clear.

Check out the video below from GSC Game World talking about the war and development of Stalker 2, aptly entitled "Lights! Camera! War..."

While there's no clear indication when Stalker 2 will release at the time of writing, the game was already delayed until 8th December 2022 before Russia invaded Ukraine.

There's really no telling when the game will release at this point, but honestly, the developers are doing the right (and possibly only) thing they can at this point.

Featured image courtesy of GSC Game World.