Yesterday, Polish website XGP reported that Xbox customers were receiving STALKER 2 refund notifications from Microsoft. As it turns out, not only is Xbox suddenly refunding current pre-orders, but they’ve also removed the ability to make new pre-orders on the Microsoft Store.
The website guessed this might mean a further delay of the game (likely due to the situation of Ukrainian developer GSC Game World), and the news spread like wildfire among the many fans that are waiting for STALKER 2. It didn’t help that the Steam page of the game now mentions December 2023 as the expected release date.
To clarify things, we contacted GSC Game World and received the following response from PR and Business Development Manager Zakhar Bocharov.
We had to postpone the release date after the war started — we announced it as 2023 during Microsoft’s Extended E3 Show. Microsoft refunds the pre-orders for the games with no exact release date — that’s a proper procedure. The game will be available for pre-order on Xbox as soon as we announce the exact release date. Dec 23 is analogue of placeholder until we’re ready to share the new release date publicly. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 releases sometime in 2023 as for now.
There has been no further delay, then, according to the development team. Truthfully, STALKER 2 has already been postponed several times. The sequel to the open world first-person survival horror cult hit was first announced in 2010 with a release planned in 2012, but that version ended up being canceled, and even GSC Game World was formally dissolved in December 2011.
However, the studio was reformed in late 2014 to work on the real-time strategy game Cossacks 3, which launched in September 2016 for PC. In 2018, STALKER 2 was once again announced to be in development for a planned 2021 release.
At E3 2021, though, the game was moved to April 28th, 2022. This January, GSC Game World once again delayed STALKER 2 to December 2022 and then again to a generic 2023 date after the Ukraine-Russia war began.
Hopefully, there’s not much more left to do before we get our hands on this highly anticipated game due to be launched on PC and Xbox Series S|X (available on Day One for Game Pass subscribers).
STALKER 2 Features
- Unique gameplay built on a blend of FPS, horror, and immersive sim
- Non-linear story with the variety of paths that lead to one of the several endings
- Benchmark-setting graphics developed using cutting-edge photogrammetric and scanning technologies
- Advanced artificial intelligence systems that will keep engaged even the most hard-boiled players
- Life-simulating system “A-life 2.0” that makes the game world feel alive as never before
- Immersive survival mechanics like hunger, sleeping, bleeding, radiation effects that enrich the gameplay
- Dynamic day-night cycle and weather will add even more realism to the gameplay experience
- Mod support gives the freedom to the creative players to extend and enrich the game universe
- Multiplayer mode that will be added soon after release as a free update
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