Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is releasing a major free update called 'Stories Untold' on December 16th, adding hours of new quests, locations, characters, and a unique weapon, enhancing the game's storyline and gameplay experience across all platforms.
The Steam page for the post-apocalyptic shooter Misery has been taken down following a DMCA takedown filed by GSC Game World, the creators of Stalker, who claim copyright infringement. The developers of Misery deny these claims, asserting their game is entirely original and legally licensed, and are fighting to have it reinstated. The situation has also raised potential political and social tensions, with some allegations of support for Russia among the developers.
GSC Game World issued a DMCA takedown against the co-op survival horror game Misery, claiming copyright infringement, which led to the game's removal from Steam. The Misery developer denied copying from Stalker 2 and argued the game is a distinct, original work, though some evidence suggests asset similarities. The developer apologized for offensive comments made in private, and the situation highlights tensions between small developers and large studios over intellectual property.
Stalker 2 has received a major update that fixes its A-Life NPC simulation system, making it work as intended, along with new weapons, anomalies, mod support, and various quality-of-life improvements, enhancing the game's immersion and gameplay experience.
Stalker 2 is set to receive its first post-release patch in the coming days, addressing numerous issues such as crashes, progression bugs, and gameplay imbalances on both PC and Xbox. Developer GSC Game World aims to improve the gaming experience by fixing memory allocation failures, quest progression blockers, and NPC behavior, among other issues. The update follows the game's challenging development cycle, including the studio's partial relocation due to the Ukraine conflict, and aims to address the performance issues and bugs noted in early reviews.
Xbox Game Pass users are advised to be cautious with the newly released day one game, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, due to significant performance and technical issues. Despite its popularity, with one million copies sold in 24 hours and a Metacritic score of 78, the game has been criticized for its current state. Users on the Xbox Game Pass Reddit page suggest waiting a few weeks for updates to resolve these issues, especially for those playing on Xbox Series S.
Ukraine's "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2" has been released after delays caused by Russia's invasion, becoming a top seller on Steam. Developed by GSC Game World, the game faced challenges like blackouts and staff displacement, leading to a relocation to Prague. The game, set in a fictional Chornobyl exclusion zone, removed Russian voiceovers and is not sold in Russia. The developers faced threats and hacking attempts due to their stance on the war. GSC Game World, founded in Kyiv, is a prominent Ukrainian game developer known for the "Cossacks" series.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart Of Chornobyl has launched with numerous bugs, including disappearing HUD elements and stuttery performance. Despite these issues, developer GSC Game World has already fixed over 1,125 problems and plans further patches. The game, set in a post-apocalyptic world, is praised for its atmosphere and challenging gameplay, despite its technical flaws.
IGN has released an exclusive gameplay trailer for 'Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl,' showcasing the game's firearms and new gameplay elements. Developed by GSC Game World, this first-person shooter survival horror game will feature various weapons, ammo types, and gun attachments. The game is set to release on November 20, 2024, for Game Pass, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms including Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.
GSC Game World has announced a new release date of September 5th, 2024 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, citing the need for more time to address technical imperfections. The game's development has faced setbacks, including the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, leading to the relocation of the studio and security threats. The announcement encourages support for Ukraine's government charity, United24, and expresses hope for a successful launch in September.
GSC Game World will release S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on September 5 for Xbox Series X/S and PC, after facing delays and challenges including a pause in development due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The game's release date was announced in a trailer, marking the "final release date" after previous delays, and follows the return of the studio with a new gameplay trailer in December 2022.
The release date for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been delayed to 5th September 2024, with the game experiencing multiple postponements for polishing and due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. GSC Game World cited technical imperfections and the need for additional polishing as reasons for the delay, and mentioned that the extended development journey will be supported with more game content to be shared later this year. The game is now available for pre-order and is set to release on PC and Xbox Series X/S, with availability on Game Pass from day one.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl faces another delay, with a new "final" release date set for September 5, 2024, as developer GSC Game World addresses technical imperfections and the need for further polishing. Despite challenges and criticism, the studio remains dedicated to delivering an authentic STALKER experience, while acknowledging the game's rough state at gamescom 2023.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the highly anticipated game from GSC Game World, is in its final stage of development and is set to release in Q1 2024. The studio released a new trailer featuring the character "Strider" and hinted at a possible release date announcement at The Game Awards 2023. The game, originally planned for a 2022 release, has faced delays due to the ongoing Russian and Ukraine war, as well as cybersecurity threats. Stalker 2 will launch for PC and Xbox Series X|S, with a three-month exclusivity period on Xbox and inclusion in Game Pass at launch.
A fire has reportedly caused significant damage to the Prague offices of STALKER 2 developer GSC Game World, with the blaze affecting the floor hosting the studio's back-up servers. The fire, attributed to an electrical fault, led to the evacuation of 20 to 30 people and an estimated damage bill of $65,750. The impact on the development of STALKER 2 and potential data loss remains uncertain. GSC Game World recently relocated from Ukraine to the Czech Republic due to ongoing Russian aggression and had previously announced a delay in the game's release to early 2024.