Confirmed: STALKER 2 Under Development, To Launch In 2021

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The STALKER 2 was first announced in 2010, but the developers trashed the project in 2012. After years of silence, GSC Game World has announced that it is starting the development of STALKER 2 all over again. GSC Game World owner Sergiy Grygorovych took it to Facebook to make the announcement. His Facebook post also includes a link to the Stalker2.com website, which has a dark background with ‘S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’ and ‘2.0.2.1’ mentioned on it.

Stalker 2 Announcement
Image Source: Facebook (Screenshot)

STALKER 2 will not be a mere fan remake of the original open-world PC game as it is being developed by the original creators. Soon after Sergiy Grygorovych’s announcement, Epic Games director Sergey Galyonkin tweeted a link to the Stalker2.com website. Sergey Galyonkin implied in a follow-up tweet that the new game could use Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. Neither Grygorovych nor Galyonkin offered further details on the game.

https://twitter.com/galyonkin/status/996503098720964610

https://twitter.com/galyonkin/status/996503367492034560

Fans will still have to wait for about three years before the STALKER 2 arrives. Grygorovych did not offer any videos or screens to suggest that the title is well into development. If GSC Game World sticks to the schedule, the STALKER 2 will launch nine years after it was originally supposed to. When the developer announced the game in 2010, they promised to release it in 2012.

It is unclear what platforms the game will be available on. All the existing episodes in the franchise were released on Windows PC. We can expect to see the STALKER 2 on Windows PC and possibly the next-gen Xbox and PlayStation 5. The E3 event is set to take place next month, where GSC Game World might offer us a glimpse into the game. The developer will have to ensure that the STALKER 2 lives up to the hype of its predecessor.

The STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl was released in 2007. It was followed by a prequel called STALKER: Clear Sky in 2008, and STALKER: Call of Pripyat in 2010. The open-world, first-person shooter game is loosely based on the movie Stalker (1979) and Russian novel Roadside Picnic. It is set in the aftermath of a second nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. The STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl was one of the most loved games of 2007 despite suffering from many technical issues.

The Shadow of Chernobyl was praised for its systems-based gameplay, immersive experience, and the non-linear story. It had players exploring the toxic wastes of Chernobyl to uncover the mysteries of the Nuclear Exclusion Zone. There were also stalkers such as scavengers and illegal hunters in ‘The Zone.’ The Shadow of Chernobyl is still one of the highest-rated titles on the Steam distribution service with more than 94% positive reviews. The Call of Pripyat has an even higher 95% positive reviews.

Since its original announcement in August 2010, the STALKER 2 has had a bumpy ride. The game was supposed to launch with a brand new engine in 2012. Unfortunately, developer Sergiy Grygorovych shut down GSC Game World in 2011, though he said it would continue to develop the game. But Grygorovych canceled the project in April 2012. His latest announcement brings it back to life after so many years.

Grygorovych revived GSC Game World in 2015, and released a real-time strategy game called Cossacks 3.

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