GSC Game World has a final Stalker 2 release date now
GSC Game World announced one last delay and a final Stalker 2 release date, as the survival game nears completion after years of turmoil. Stalker 2 will launch on Sep. 5, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows.
GSC made the announcement on Twitter, where they explained the reason for this last delay.
“Throughout the frankly challenging development process, we understood the time was of the team's main essence,” GSC said in the statement. “Seeing the scope of polishing and understanding that we can’t push your patience too much, we were absolutely dedicated to releasing the game in Q1 2024, and we worked extra hard to meet the release window.”
“That, however, doesn’t change the fact that at the beginning of this year, we still witnessed the certain amount of technical imperfections that hold S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 below the expected standards for the final experience our fans are waiting for.”
Saying Stalker 2 faced its share of development difficulties is an understatement. GSC’s original studio was in Kyiv, Ukraine, and most of the team fled to Prague after Russia invaded the city. Developer Volodymyr Yezhov stayed to fight with the Ukrainian resistance, however, and he died fighting in a skirmish at Bakhmut at the end of 2022, days before GSC released an in-depth Stalker 2 trailer highlighting what to expect from the game.
GSC finally had the chance to share a short preview build at Gamescom 2023, and the reactions from that helped point out areas that need tweaking and polish before the final launch.