STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl has encountered another delay, disappointing fans who have eagerly awaited its release for 14 years. This latest setback deals a blow to the Xbox Game Pass holiday season lineup. Despite the delay, the game appears to be in its final stages of development and is now aiming for a Q1 2024 launch, according to the latest official fact sheet.
Initially announced in 2021 as the second numbered installment in the STALKER franchise, this is actually the fourth game in the series. GSC Game World initially planned to release the FPS-RPG hybrid in April 2022 but later pushed the release back by eight months due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which forced the studio to relocate from Kyiv to Prague. The game missed its December 8, 2022 release date and had already been delayed to 2023.
STALKER 2’s latest delay moves its release into 2024, as indicated by the most recent version of its official fact sheet. While this news may disappoint fans who have waited patiently for another entry in the franchise, the delay appears to be relatively minor, with the game targeting a Q1 2024 launch. GSC Game World is still offering digital pre-orders for STALKER 2 on platforms like Steam and GOG, with advanced orders for physical copies available through the game’s official website.
The studio did not provide a specific release date following the game’s previous delay, but recent retailer listings suggested a possible release date of December 1, 2023. This latest postponement likely occurred for polishing purposes and does not seem to indicate major development issues. Notably, GSC Game World brought a playable version of STALKER 2 to Gamescom 2023 in Cologne, Germany.
While this delay affects the Xbox Game Pass holiday lineup for 2023, Microsoft’s subscription service still has several highly anticipated releases scheduled for the final months of the year, including titles like Starfield and Forza Motorsport. Additionally, another day one Xbox Game Pass title, Replaced, also faced a delay to 2024 earlier this week.
