The development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is being especially complicated due to many unexpected circumstances. The war in Ukraine has had a severe impact on the process forcing GSC Game World to make many adjustments to the work team. However, the studio was confident of finishing the game and launching it eventually. Unfortunately, it's taking far longer than expected. A delay in 2022 was followed by another one in 2023, and now that we are well into 2024 the fans are wondering what's going on. The latest news we had about the game pointed at a possible release next September, but it seems that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 won't make it to its appointment with the community on that date.
GSC Game World has announced in an official statement that the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has been delayed again. The reason behind this decision is that the studio needs to fix a series of bugs, probably critical if the developers are opting for such a drastic measure. While there are no details about the specific bugs that need to be fixed, the studio has promised to show more of the game very soon. A special Developer Deep Dive will be hosted on August 12th and it promises to be very interesting as it will reveal a walkthrough of one of the story quests and content never seen before.
“We know you might be tired of waiting, and we truly appreciate your patience. These two additional months will give us the chance to fix more ‘unexpected anomalies’ (or simply ‘bugs’, as you call them). We are always grateful for your ongoing support and understanding - it means the world to us. We’re just as eager as you are to finally release the game and for you to experience it for yourself.”
It's been six years already since this specific version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was officially announced, and it's about time for the game to be released. Will GSC Game World honour its promise this time and release the eagerly awaited first-person survival shooter on November 20th? We will have to wait a few months longer to know the answer. Meanwhile, feel free to use our comparator to pre-order S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 so you get your copy of the game at the best price for Xbox Series X/S and PC.