S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Survive the Zone. Shape its fate.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a 2024 first-person shooter, survival horror video game developed and published by GSC Game World. It is the fourth main game in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and the first in 15 years since Call of Pripyat (2009).
Quick Facts
- Developer
- GSC Game World
- Engine
- X-Ray Engine (evolved iteration)
- Release year
- 2024
- Genre
- First-person shooter; open-world survival
- Setting
- The Zone, Chernobyl Exclusion Area
- Predecessor
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (2009)
Lore & Background
The game takes place in the post-apocalyptic Chernobyl exclusion zone. The player controls Yevhen "Skif" Martynenko, a Ukrainian Marine Corps veteran, who enters the Zone to earn money after an anomaly destroys his apartment. The story involves factions such as Ward, Spark, Noontide, and the Monolith, and features multiple endings depending on player choices.
Reader's Guide
The player survives by monitoring hunger and sleep, collecting items with weight limits, and managing armor and weapon durability. Anomalies can be probed with bolts; artifacts are found using detectors. Stalker camps offer traders, technicians, medics, rest areas, and storage crates.
Did You Know?
- The game was initially announced in 2010 for a 2012 release, but was cancelled that year.
- Development restarted in 2018 using Unreal Engine 5.
- The game was released on 20 November 2024 for Windows and Xbox Series X/S, and on 20 November 2025 for PlayStation 5.
- One million copies were sold within two days of release.
More in Eras & Legacy
Elsewhere in STALKER
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced