Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been a long time coming. It has faced multiple delays and a massive data breach, but the developers appear to be out of the woods now.
Following months of anticipation, the game has been listed on the Xbox marketplace with a pre-order bonus, and the latter can already be downloaded.
Why it matters: While the studio announced a Q1 2024 release window at Gamescom 2023, many were still wary of another delay due to the challenges this team has faced so far.
(FYI) S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl with come with a Pre-Order Bonus
Now Available to Pre-Download via Xbox App
Look like there's a good chance the game is releasing in Q1 2024
Credit to @njp for the heads up 👏 pic.twitter.com/vkBEP8hvrL
— Idle Sloth💙💛 (@IdleSloth84_) January 4, 2024
As shared by Idle Sloth, a small Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl file taking up less than 300MB of storage can now be downloaded on Xbox Series S|X consoles from the Xbox app. This is a positive sign and likely means that the game is nearly ready to be released, eliminating the possibility of another delay.
With a new Xbox Developer Direct reportedly lined up for later this month, GSC Game World could show up at the event to showcase even more gorgeous footage of the game.
Even if this does not happen, we expect an announcement soon. With pre-loads having begun, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl seems to be in a safe position to meet its Q1 2024 release window set last year.
The game is currently in the polishing stages. Last year, the studio confirmed a 60FPS target and addressed the criticism of downgraded graphics from the recent footage, stating that the finished product would look better once everything comes together.
In their latest update, the developers also revealed that the story would be around 40 hours long, providing four different endings.
With the release date getting closer with each passing day, the excitement for the survival game is increasing. We are expecting a solid release date for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl soon since this game is one of the biggest titles of 2024 and certainly among Xbox’s biggest exclusives this generation.
Following this pre-load, many have begun to speculate whether Xbox could shadow-drop the game during the Developer Direct. While this seems unlikely, the game will still be available on Game Pass at launch.
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News Reporter
Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.
