Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl Suffers Another Delay To Fix Unexpected Bugs
Fans who have been patiently awaiting the release of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, will have to wait a little bit longer than anticipated...again. In a statement posted to X/Twitter, Ukranian video game developer GSC Game World said it was pushing back the release date a couple of months in order to "fix more 'unexpected anomalies' (or simply 'bugs', as you call them.)"
The latest entry in the long-running Stalker franchise, Heart of Chornobyl, has been a long time coming. It's the fourth Stalker game and the first in 15 years, since the launch of Stalker: Call of Pripyat. It was announced all the way back in 2010 and was cancelled two years later, the same year it was initially supposed to arrive.
Then in 2018, development picked up again with the new release date set for 2021. However, it would go on to face multiple delays, the latest of which sees the release date pushed back from September 5, 2024 to November 20, 2024. At least this one is a relatively short delay, with the developer trying to lighten the mood with a tongue-in-cheek trailer posted to YouTube (embedded above).
Despite another setback, GSC Game World says the game is "shaping up to be everything we envisioned." The studio also said it plans to post a developer deep dive video on Xbox media channels on August 12, which will include a bunch of interviews, new footage, and a walkthrough of one of the game quests. Here's the full statement that was posted to X/Twitter...
The delay has elicited a range of responses, with some gamers voicing their frustration and others showing support. To GSC Game World's credit, the developer has been actively responding to posts in the thread, including a reply that outlined its struggles since the game went into development.
"During the development process, we faced pandemics, relocation, war, cyberattacks, and more. No matter how complicated this development process is for us, our goal still remains to deliver the best possible experience to the players. Be assured we understand your feelings in connection with this announcement," GSC Game World said.
For those interested, Stalker 2: Heart of Chronobyl is available to preorder.
