Stalker 2 has suffered yet another delay, this time to November 20, 2024. In January, after years of development and multiple delays, Ukrainian developer GSC Game World announced a firm, “final” release date of September 5, 2024, which it will no longer hit. In a statement, game director Yevhen Grygorovych said the extra two months will give the developers the chance to fix “unexpected anomalies”, aka bugs.
Here’s the statement in full: “We know you might be tired of waiting, and we truly appreciate your patience. These two additional months will give us the chance to fix more ‘unexpected anomalies’ (or simply ‘bugs’, as you call them). We are always grateful for your ongoing support and understanding - it means the world to us.
We’re just as eager as you are to finally release the game and for you to experience it for yourself.” GSC Game World has been vocal about the challenges the studio has faced getting the post-apocalyptic PC and Xbox Series X and S shooter up to scratch after a mixed reaction to its debut public showing last year. At gamescom 2023, GSC Game World addressed what some had called a “downgrade” sparked by Stalker 2’s latest gameplay trailer .
At the time, GSC Game World told IGN it was still targeting a visual quality and level of polish suggested by Stalker 2’s eye-catching 2021 trailer (below). This despite the horrendous conditions suffered by the staff amid the war with Russia . It’s fair to say the gamescom 2023 build.