After rumors swirled that we would see Stalker 2 delayed, that's exactly what's happened. The developers have confirmed that the game's release date will be moved to December this year, as extra development time is needed to polish the game.
What's the reason for this Stalker 2 delay?
Speaking via Twitter, Stalker 2 developer GSC Game World confirmed the delay. In its tweet, the studio says it needs an additional seven months of development in order to bring Stalker 2 up to competition standard. According to GSC, Stalker 2 is its biggest project, and the scope and scale of the game demands "thorough testing and polishing". Looks like you're going to have to wait a little longer for Stalker 2, but hey; at least it won't have those NFTs everyone hated so much.
Elaborating further on the delay, GSC says it thinks development should take "as long as necessary", especially when it comes to a project on the scale of Stalker 2. The studio goes on to reassure disappointed fans that although the decision has not been easy, 2022 will be an "exciting and important" year for Stalker 2. Sounds like we've got some more announcements coming up, so stay tuned for more info on this one.
When is the new Stalker 2 release date?
Stalker 2, or S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, is a first-person post-apocalyptic survival shooter. The Steam page for the game promises a huge, seamless open world, lots of factions to meet, mutants to take down, and a non-linear story with several endings to discover. After a troubled development history going all the way back to 2010, which saw Stalker 2 go dormant in 2014, the game was shown at E3 2021 and given a release date of April 28th. Unfortunately, we now know we won't be getting it then.
Instead, the new Stalker 2 release date is December 8th. Mark that one down in your calendar (although there's nothing stopping GSC delaying it again, of course). When it launches, Stalker 2 will arrive on PC and Xbox Series X|S. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll be getting a Stalker 2 PS5 version anytime soon, either. Here's hoping GSC sticks to the new release date and this long-awaited, ambitious shooter doesn't get delayed again.
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