A long and tedious road.
The hostile and treacherous Zone.
Unbelievable treasures that might cost you everything.
A blood trial, separating your old life from a new one...

The unique combination of first-person shooter, immersive sim, and horror is back. With unprecedented scale, advanced graphics, freedom of choices, and the thickest atmosphere of a deadly adventure, it’s going to be the ultimate S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience.

Welcome to The Zone — an area of exclusion around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, a seamless open-world environment full of radiation, mutants and anomalies, it keeps drawing adventurers from beyond the perimeter.

Through everything, the Zone found her own way to bloom and thrive. Luring seekers from all over, gifting with wonders protected by the unknown, desolation, and human sins.

Bounty hunters dwell deep into the Zone, driven by its treasures and mysteries. These people are known as stalkers.

Are you ready to become one of them?

Titled War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, this feature-length documentary offers an in-depth look at the emotional journey of GSC Game World, a Ukrainian video game developer with nearly 500 employees, as they navigate the challenges of developing the highly anticipated sequel to their 2007 first-person survival shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., amidst the outbreak of the full-fledged war in Ukraine. What started as an ambitious project evolved into a deeply personal and historical endeavor, forged in the most unimaginable circumstances.

Created in partnership with Xbox and directed by Andrew Stephan (Power On: The Story of Xbox), this is one of the most heart-wrenching "making-of" films ever made. It tells the true stories of real people faced with the realities of war on their doorstep.

The documentary tackles many themes from capturing the essence of Chornobyl and Ukraine, cultural independence, and game development in a collapsing world to personal and collective resilience & overcoming loss.

During this process, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 becomes more than just a game — rather a lens through which a new reality is viewed. The developers grapple with their dual roles as creators and survivors, turning their game into a powerful symbol of resistance. When the foundations of existence are shaken, art becomes profoundly important.

“This film isn’t just about the hardest game development of all time. It’s about resilience and the unyielding human spirit in the face of unimaginable challenges. It’s about the importance of creation in a time of destruction…a defiant act of making something meaningful in the face of adversity”, - says Andrew Stephan, Film Director.

“Speaking personally, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the biggest and the most complex video game in my life. It was ambitious from the very beginning, but turned out to be an ultimate challenge by itself. It’s extremely important and extremely personal, and it’s a game made in the most stressful circumstances possible. That includes the pandemic, relocation, cyberattacks and, above all of that - war tearing our Homeland apart. I wish the war never happened. I wish all of this never happened. But it did. And we’re grateful for the opportunity to share all of this with the world, because the world should know. This is us. This is our story”, - says Mariia Grygorovych, Creative Director on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.

Despite the heroism of the nation, the war in Ukraine continues. GSC Game World has been supporting our home country in all the ways we can. For those willing to do the same, we recommend following the link to the official charity fund of Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine himself.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will feature a branching story with multiple endings. Players will have to constantly make uneasy choices with tough consequences — some of them changing the world itself.

The unique simulation system called A-Life from the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy is getting on a new level with A-Life 2.0. With different behavior of characters and mutants, the Zone changes constantly. Every playthrough will be unique with lots of things happening every moment, even if the player doesn’t witness them directly.

Since the very start of Russia's full-fledged war against our country, GSC Game World has been supporting Ukraine in all the ways possible. For those willing to do the same, we recommend following this link to the official charity fund of Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine himself.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is coming to PC and Xbox Series X|S as a console launch exclusive on November 20, 2024, available through Xbox Game Pass on day one.