STALKER 2 Listed for December 1st Launch on PLAION Store

STALKER 2 might be less than four months away from release if a new listing on the official German PLAION Store is to be believed. As spotted by fellow press member Andrew Marmo, the store mentions a December 1st release date, and it might not be a placeholder.

First of all, it's the beginning of a month rather than the ending as usual with placeholders. Moreover, it's a Friday, which is the most common weekday to launch games. Lastly, the German PLAION Store isn't new to leaking release dates; it already happened with the Nintendo Switch version of Darksiders 2. As a reminder, PLAION (formerly known as Koch Media) will be distributing the game's physical editions.

In case all of that wasn't enough to convince you, there's the fact that GSC Game World had previously planned to launch STALKER 2 in December 2022 before their plans went awry due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, the recent confirmation from the studio that the game will be playable publically for the first time at Gamescom 2023 later this month is yet another hint of its near-complete state. If it launched before the end of the year, it could be the proverbial cherry on top of what's shaping up to be an absolutely memorable year in game releases.

Fans have been waiting more than a decade for STALKER 2. GSC Game World originally announced the sequel in 2010 with a targeted 2012 launch, but the studio was actually disbanded in December 2011 and the project got shelved as a result. GSC Game World was resurrected four years later to make Cossacks 3, but the real goal was always to finally produce the long-awaited new installment in the open world survival horror first-person shooter franchise.

STALKER 2 was eventually reannounced in 2018 for a targeted 2021 launch window. The first concrete date was April 28th, 2022, which shifted again to December as mentioned above. Then the war hit, forcing the developers to pause work for a few months while they got their bearings.

Due to launch on PC and Xbox Series S|X (Microsoft signed a three-month exclusive deal, after which the game is likely to debut on PlayStation 5 as well) as well as Game Pass from day one, STALKER 2 aims to expand on those features that made the original game a cult classic.

Unique gameplay built on a blend of FPS, horror, and immersive sim

Non-linear story with a 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, and 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

Powered by Unreal Engine 5, STALKER 2 aims to be a graphical showcase. It's also expected to be one of the first games to take advantage of NVIDIA's Audio2Face AI-powered real-time facial animation.