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

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a single-player survival shooter by GSC Game World set in a dangerous, open Exclusion Zone around Chornobyl. You play as the stalker Skif, search abandoned towns, industrial facilities and contaminated areas, and try to survive between rival factions and deadly anomalies.

Exploration, resource scarcity, shootouts and consequential decisions are at the center. The story takes different paths and can end in different ways depending on your actions.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was released on Nov 20, 2024 for PC and Xbox Series X|S. The native PlayStation 5 version followed on Nov 20, 2025.

The paid story expansion Cost of Hope was released on Aug 20, 2026. At the same time, the free Update 2.0 reworked many of the game's core systems.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is natively available for Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. The PS5 version came out a year after the original PC and Xbox launch. There is no separate native version for PS4 and Xbox One.

On PC, Steam offers achievements, cloud saves and Workshop support, among other things. The game is a single-player adventure. An announced multiplayer component is not part of the current game offering.

In the Exclusion Zone, Skif collects weapons, ammo, food and artifacts. Radiation, dangerous anomalies, mutants and hostile stalkers make even short trips risky. You decide which routes are worth it, how much gear to take and when to pull out of a firefight.

The open areas invite exploration and side quests. Decisions in conversations and faction conflicts affect how the story unfolds. A rigid mission sequence is therefore not the sole focus.

Cost of Hope was released on Aug 20, 2026 as a paid story expansion. Skif becomes more deeply involved in the conflict between the factions Duty and Freedom. New areas, enemies, artifacts and gear expand the playable Exclusion Zone.

According to GSC Game World, the additional story runs over 20 hours. Areas to visit include the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Iron Forest, among others. The main game is required for the expansion.

The PC version requires at least 16 GB RAM and 160 GB SSD storage. GSC lists an Intel Core i7-7700K or Ryzen 5 1600X, plus a GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB, Radeon RX 580 with 8 GB or Intel Arc A750. The target is 1080p at 30 frames per second on low settings.

For 1440p at 60 frames per second on high settings, Steam recommends 32 GB RAM, a Core i7-11700 or Ryzen 7 5800X, and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti or RTX 4070, or a Radeon RX 6800 XT. Upscaling technology is part of the stated test conditions.

The A-Life system simulates encounters between stalkers, factions and creatures. As a result, the game world can react to changes even when Skif is not directly involved. The behavior of characters and how noticeable their activities are has been expanded several times since launch.

Since update 2.1 on Oct 26, 2026, the draw distance of A-Life characters can be increased. The binoculars support this extended view, so movements of NPCs and mutants can be spotted earlier. The view distance can be set via several profiles. A dynamic option adjusts it to available performance, while long ranges can affect frame rate and stability.

Since the update The Zone Lookout, you can travel through the Exclusion Zone faster with certain group leaders. Friendly and neutral leaders are marked on the compass. For payment, they only take you to already explored destinations near them along their own route, provided you are not overloaded. This complements long hikes but does not replace them.

The binoculars have also been adjusted to the extended view distance. If you first watch a dangerous area from a distance, you can judge the movements of stalkers and mutants more precisely. The update also changes the display and behavior of various anomalies.

The PC version supports mods via the Steam Workshop. This makes it possible to find and manage community-made extensions. The studio also provides official tools for mod development with the Zone Kit.

Major technical updates may require existing mods to be adjusted. GSC works with mod creators on this.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is available as Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate Edition. The larger editions add, among other things, bonus gear, an additional side mission and digital extras.

The Ultimate Edition also includes the Season Pass with two story expansions. Anyone who already owns the Standard Edition can get certain content through separate upgrades. The expansion Cost of Hope requires the base game regardless.

German menus and subtitles are supported, but German voice-over is not. Voice-over on PC is available in English and Ukrainian. The PlayStation version also lists these two spoken languages.

Controls work on PC with mouse and keyboard or a controller. Steam also supports cloud saves and HDR.