S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a long-awaited first-person shooter with elements of horror and survival in an open world from the studio GSC Game World, which continues the story of events in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

There's not much time left until the game's release, so we've compiled material that contains everything you need to know about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

Setting and Plot — S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

The events of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl unfold in the familiar alternative version of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. According to the plot, in 2006, a second mysterious explosion occurred at the power plant, causing even more supernatural events.

New mutants and anomalies have appeared in the Chornobyl Zone, posing a threat to local stalkers who roam in search of adventures and artifacts. Artifacts are special items that grant the owner various effects, such as resistance to damage, radiation, fire, or significant healing.

These artifacts are very valuable, so stalkers hunt for them to gain their power or sell them for a good sum to earn a living. Some stalkers have united into groups to achieve common goals or missions. One such group is "Duty", formed from former Ukrainian military personnel and volunteers who protect the world from everything related to the Exclusion Zone.

The main character of the new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a stalker nicknamed Skif. He is a completely new character who did not appear in previous games of the series, and throughout the game, he will become a true stalker by learning various details from other characters. According to the plot, he will have to reach the proto-anomaly called "Heart of Chornobyl."

Mission "There and Back Again" in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

The creators of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl from GSC studio do not reveal detailed information about the plot. However, at one of the recent exhibitions, players had the opportunity to play one of the first missions of the game called "There and Back."

In it, Skif has to help the character Hermann install an anomaly scanner called "Topaz." However, it ends with this very scanner being taken away from him. At this point, the demo version of the game ends.

Do You Need to Know the Plot of Previous S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Games?

Even though S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a continuation of the original game's world, there are no indications that you must have completed the trilogy of Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat to play the sequel.

The new game will tell a new story and feature new characters, as the events will unfold several years after the events of the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. However, there may be details and characters that echo the old games. Therefore, if you wish to immerse yourself more and understand all these references, consider playing the original.

It should also be noted that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is morally and technically somewhat outdated, so not everyone may be able to play it comfortably. In such a case, it's better to watch some videos or read articles about the game to learn about the plot of the previous parts.

Gameplay of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

The game will feature an open world with an area of about 60 km². Players will be able to freely move to places that interest them and explore them.

The game's plot is nonlinear, so every choice and action you make will affect the further development of events, leading to one of several game endings. According to the developers, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will take over 150 hours to complete at a leisurely pace.

You will need to search for anomalies, ammunition, food, medkits, and other consumables to survive in the Exclusion Zone and confront its dangers. Not all anomalies will pose a threat; some of them are helpful.

Additional details about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

• All locations in the game will be combined into one continuous open world. Both old locations from the original part and new ones will be present.

• In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, there will be representatives of both old and new factions, including: "Freedom," "Duty," "Spark," "South," and "Watch”.

• Among the well-known existing characters in the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 are: Skif — the main protagonist, Vitya Kucheravy, Lyolik, Professor Hermann, Colonel Korshunov, Dr. Dalin, Brodyaga, Faust, Richter, Sych, Huron, Mykluha, Shram, and others.

Compared to previous games in the series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will have a more advanced life simulation system and environment called A-Life. Mutants and other enemies will have improved artificial intelligence and mechanics, making the gameplay more interesting to meet modern players' expectations.

You can learn more about the new features and what S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be like from the official video by GSC Game World in the Developer Deep Dive dedicated to this game.

System Requirements for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl for PC

Minimum Requirements:

• Operating System: Windows 10, Windows 11
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600X / Intel Core i5-7600K
• RAM: 8 GB
• Graphics Card: AMD Radeon RX 580 8 GB / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB
• Disk Space: 150 GB of free space
• Note: SSD is recommended

Recommended Requirements:

• Operating System: Windows 10, Windows 11
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X / Intel Core i7-9700K
• RAM: 16 GB
• Graphics Card: AMD Radeon RX 5700 8 GB / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB
• Disk Space: 150 GB of free space
• Note: SSD is recommended

Release Date of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

The release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is scheduled for November 20, 2024. The game has been delayed multiple times due to production problems and external factors, the most critical of which was the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine.

You can purchase S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl at:

• $59.99 — Standard Edition
• $79.99 — Deluxe Edition
• $109.99 — Ultimate Edition

You can play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store, GOG) and Xbox Series X/S. It will also be available on Game Pass on the day of release.