GSC Game World, the developers behind Stalker 2: Hearts of Chornobyl, made an appearance at the Xbox Games extended showcase. While the game itself is delayed to 2023, the studio reassured gamers it was still working on it amidst the turmoil and war in its home country of Ukraine.
Xbox first revealed the game’s delay inadvertently, during its main showcase. It showed a list of the games it planned to release on Xbox within the next 12 months, and Stalker 2 was in the list of games for 2023, as opposed to its then-projected release date of late 2022. GSC Game World confirmed this during the extended showcase — the new trailer says just “2023.”
GSC’s employees spoke about developing in the middle of the Russo-Ukrainian War. They showed footage of their employees either evacuating or sheltering during the initial invasion. Several employees are working within whatever shelter they can find and are also helping with the war effort. They all reiterate that they’re eager to finish the game and release it, despite the conflict around them.
The new trailer is a cinematic, showing a truck that appears to be entering the nuclear zone. It doesn’t reveal much about the game, but it does set the atmosphere. The game launches in 2023 on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X, and PC.