S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl is the much anticipated and long-awaited sequel to the first person shooter franchise, set to release as an Xbox series X|S console exclusive this April. Unfortunately the game has seen a major delay pushing it back to the end of 2022.

In a post on their official Twitter page, the GSC Game World team announced to fans that they “have made a decision to postpone the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl to December 8th, 2022.”

Explaining this decision, they said “These additional seven months of development are needed to fulfill our vision and achieve the desired state of the game. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the biggest project in the history of GSC, and it requires thorough testing and polishing. We are convinced that development should take as long as necessary, especially in the case of such a project.”

The team concluded by adding that “this decision is not an easy one, but we are doing the best possible to deliver you a game that can live up to the expectations. With more information, updates and showcases coming, we have an exciting and important year ahead. Thank you for your patience and understanding. With love, GSC Game World team.”

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise has always had its niche, however, with the upcoming release of Heart of Chernobyl it appears evident that this latest project is by far the team's biggest. As such, even though Xbox fans may be disappointed (especially as a number of PlayStation exclusives are set to launch around S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2's original release date), allowing developers to be given more time to work on their craft can only be a good thing and will ultimately lead to a better product.

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KitGuru says: Are you disappointed to hear of this delay? What are your expectations when it comes to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2? What do you want to see from the sequel? Let us know down below.

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