Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been delayed to September 5, 2024, which developer GSC Game World calls the game's "final release date."
In a message on Twitter announcing the new release date, the devs say that after demoing Stalker 2 publicly at Gamescom, the feedback they received about technical performance indicated that "the game needs more time." It had previously been scheduled for a vague release window of Q1 2024.
"Throughout the frankly challenging development process, we understood the time was of the team's main essence," the devs write. "Seeing the scope of polishing and understanding that we can’t push your patience too much, we were absolutely dedicated to releasing the game in Q1 2024, and we worked extra hard to meet the release window. That, however, doesn’t change the fact that at the beginning of this year, we still witnessed the certain amount of technical imperfections that hold Stalker 2 below the expected standards for the final experience our fans are waiting for."
The new launch plan of September 5 is described as the "final release date" in that social media message, in a press release, and in a brief trailer accompanying the announcement. The press release also reiterates that Stalker 2 will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.
After some hands-on time with Stalker 2 at Gamescom, GamesRadar+'s own Josh West wrote "the notion that Stalker 2 will be ready to launch in the next six months or so seems ambitious at best," adding that "I'm happy to wait for as long as it takes, because beneath the broken AI, jagged foliage, and misfiring weapons is the still beating heart of Stalker." Clearly, GSC Game World has been taking that kind of feedback to heart.
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