Fans patiently waiting for the release of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl won't have to wait much longer, as the game has finally gone gold, signaling the final stretch before its release. The November 20, 2024 release date of STALKER 2 will mark the end of a lengthy development saga for the game, marked by multiple delays.
The original STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl game from 2007 took inspiration from classic Soviet-era science fiction stories, setting the game in the "Exclusion Zone" surrounding the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl, which was depopulated by a nuclear reactor meltdown in 1986. Featuring realistic gunplay, challenging survival mechanics, and a tense, apocalyptic atmosphere, STALKER became a beloved classic among shooter fans, and arguably one of the earliest modern open-world survival games. Unfortunately for fans eager to see a sequel, STALKER 2's development path has been a long, bumpy road, marked by delays, the dissolution and reformation of developer GSC Game World itself, and the outbreak of war between Ukraine and Russia. The saga was even the subject of a documentary film called War Game: The Making of STALKER 2, focused on the series' history and the effects of the war on staff at GSC Game...
