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Update, November 13: Updated to reflect that preloads are now available for Game Pass subscribers.
First announced over 10 years ago, revived in 2018, and delayed for several years as a result of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl and the creatives building it have gone through an unbelievably turbulent development cycle. At long last, though, the highly anticipated FPS has gone gold (meaning it's ready for release) and is scheduled to launch soon — a testament to GSC Game World's fierce tenacity, and a fact that's got fans and players around the world stirring with excitement.
STALKER 2 is now the fourth most-wishlisted game on Steam at the time of writing, and has been #5 for many months; with that in mind, it's not surprising that there are plenty of folks curious to learn when they'll finally be able to begin their adventure in The Zone. To help you do just that, I've put together this informative guide that goes over everything you need to know about STALKER 2's release, including when exactly it's coming out, how you can preload it, how much file space you'll need to have available, and more.
What is STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl?
While those who have journeyed into The Zone in previous STALKER games will have a good idea of what the STALKER series is and how this sequel will play, newcomers experiencing the franchise for the first time with STALKER 2 won't know what to expect. If that's you, make sure to give this section a close read for a broad overview.
STALKER 2 is an open-world survival horror first-person shooter set in a fictional version of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone — the region surrounding the site of the infamous 1986 nuclear power plant disaster in Ukraine. Like the previous STALKER games, this sequel takes place in a fictional version of the area in which a second disaster mysteriously occurred in 2006, leading to the creation of deadly mutant creatures, the sudden appearance of bizarre supernatural phenomena, and the onset of lethal psychic energy storms called "emissions."
Despite the Ukrainian military's efforts to cut The Zone off and prevent anyone (and anything) from entering or exiting its borders, explorers called "stalkers" frequently find ways to sneak into the area. Some join various factions that control certain parts of The Zone and have goals they aim to achieve in it, while others hunt for "artifacts" — unique treasures formed by The Zone's anomalous phenomena that grant those who wear them remarkable abilities like rapid healing or radiation cleansing. The area also attracts bounty hunters and agents of foreign governments, along with scientists eager to try and figure out how The Zone came to be.
You play as a stalker named Skif who aids scientists like this at the start of the game, though you're ultimately able to explore The Zone and interact with its inhabitants as you see fit. STALKER 2's gameplay is non-linear and promotes freedom, with players able to join factions they like, explore and scavenge for valuable loot, and talk or trade with many NPCs encountered. To keep things interesting and dynamic, STALKER 2 will feature A-Life 2.0, an AI simulation system that dictates how mutants and other stalkers move around The Zone. It's been said that A-Life 2.0 will have a significant impact on moment-to-moment gameplay, quest outcomes, and more, hopefully ensuring that no two playthroughs of the FPS feel the same.
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Survival in The Zone is difficult, and if STALKER 2 is anything like its predecessors, you'll be forced to carefully manage ammo, food, medical supplies, a sleep schedule, and equipment maintenance to keep Skif in good shape. Much of the gear you'll need can be taken from slain enemies or loot stashes, but you may need to buy some of it from traders; naturally, that'll cost you money, which you'll be able to earn by selling loot you don't need or completing tasks and favors for factions and NPCs. Notably, the gunplay in STALKER 2 seems much deadlier and more consistent than it was in previous games, encouraging players to aim carefully and use cover wisely.
While the game is primarily a single player experience, STALKER 2 will also have a PvP multiplayer component (added after launch) with Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes and customizable cosmetics. Very little is known about the multiplayer beyond this, however.
When it launches, STALKER 2 will be available to play on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC through Steam, the Microsoft Store, the Epic Games Store, and GOG for $59.99. Preorders are available now; alternatively, you can play on both Xbox and PC day one with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
STALKER 2: Release date and launch times
STALKER 2's launch has been pushed back and delayed many times over the years, but fortunately, fans won't have to wait long to play the game now. That's because STALKER 2 is scheduled to release on November 20, 2024 — that's just a little over one week away, at the time of writing.
Something important to note, though, is that while we know the game is coming on November 20, we don't have concrete details about specific launch times in different regions yet. The Microsoft Store does say STALKER 2 will unlock at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET, but it's not clear if that's a global release time or if it's going live at different times around the world. As soon as more information is available, I'll update this article with the latest.
Does STALKER 2 have Early Access?
Many new single player-focused titles like STALKER 2 have an Early Access period that allows players who preorder more expensive versions of the game to play it a few days early, but STALKER 2 itself isn't one of them. That means regardless of which edition of the survival FPS you buy, you'll have to wait until November 20 to jump in.
STALKER 2: Countdown clock
This countdown clock displays the remaining time until STALKER 2's scheduled November 20 release date. Note that since specific launch time information hasn't been made available yet, this timer doesn't necessarily indicate when you can start playing; once those details have been announced, I'll update the clock to reflect them.
STALKER 2: How to preload the game
In recent years, something that's become increasingly common for sizable new games is preloading. This feature lets fans download and install a game ahead of its actual release date, allowing them to immediately start playing it once it's live. Preloading is useful for everyone, but is especially beneficial to players that have slow internet connections.
Preloads for STALKER 2 are available now on both Xbox and PC, having recently gone live after the game officially went gold. You can preload STALKER 2 on Xbox from the Xbox store on your console, while STALKER 2 preloads on PC can be done through your game libraries on Steam, the Microsoft Store, the Epic Games Store, or GOG.
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Most can only preload the game if they've purchased it on one of these platforms; right now. Game Pass preloads were originally not ready at the same time as those who have bought a copy already, but that's no longer an issue. Subscribers can pre-install now the same as everyone else.
STALKER 2: Download size
The size of open-world games has ballooned quite a bit in recent years, and unfortunately, GSC Game World's sequel continues that trend. On both Xbox and PC, you'll need roughly 160GB of free space to download and install STALKER 2, which is definitely on the very high end of storage requirements. It's not the largest I've seen this year — the PC version of God of War: Ragnarok has an eye-watering 190GB file size — but nevertheless, it's still a colossal game.
Additionally, as revealed by the STALKER 2 PC system requirements and specs, the hard drive you install the title on has to be a solid-state drive (SSD). Older hard disk drives (HDDs) take too long to load modern textures and other assets, making them incompatible with many new games.
If you need to make room for STALKER 2's installation, try uninstalling games you haven't played in a long time, deleting large files like videos that you don't care about, and clearing out your PC's Recycle Bin. If you still need more space or need to get an SSD, you'll want to pick up one of the best SSDs for your rig.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is coming to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC on November 20, and looks to be one of this year's best Xbox games and best PC games. It has a $59.99 MSRP, but notably, you can preorder it with a discount at CDKeys right now. On day one, you'll also be able to play it through Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
