A rumor began circulating earlier from YouTuber OldBoi that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl was not expected to meet its current release date of April 28, 2022. While OldBoi has been correct before when it came to leaks about the game, the rumor was just that until GSC Game World chose to make an official statement on the matter. It was stated that the company planned to announce the delay during their next gameplay showcase, and they probably were, but perhaps because this information was leaked the company chose to quickly confirm it.
GSC Game World tweeted out an official statement confirming that the game would be delayed into the tail end of Fall, as was suggested by OldBoi. The new date release date for the game has been set at December 8, 2022.
— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) January 12, 2022
The statement itself is a pretty traditional one, stating that the team needs “These additional seven months of development to achieve the desired state of the game.” They go on to say that “We are convinced that development should take as long as necessary, especially in the case of such a project.”
This is not the first time that the game has been delayed either, having had a notoriously long road to get to this point. Players that have been waiting for nearly a decade to get their hands on the title should not be too upset that the game has had one more delay, especially if it helps the game live up to the hype.
There is a possibility that their recent decision to include NFTs in the title, a decision met with backlash from the community that forced them to remove them, has added to their need for more time. It is also possible that reemerging covid-19 restrictions, due to the new Omnicron variant, also played a role in this though the studio did not state that as a factor.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl will now be available December 8, 2022, which is just in time for the holiday season. It will be available on Xbox Series X|S, and Microsoft Windows.
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