Summary
- GSC Game World rolled out a pre-release STALKER 2 update on November 18, two days ahead of the immersive sim's debut.
- The update is nearly 140GB in size, and essentially replaces the majority of the game's original preload build.
- The pre-release patch is exclusive to the Xbox Series X/S, as STALKER 2 isn't available to preload on PC.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has received its first-ever update, which happens to be gigantic. However, since the game isn't out yet, the new patch will only be of interest to people who have preloaded STALKER 2.
Following around six years of development and four major delays, at least one of which can be traced back to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, STALKER 2 has gone gold in early November 2024. The long-awaited immersive sim is scheduled to hit the market on Wednesday, November 20.
STALKER 2 Team Has Message for Fans as Release Date Nears
Ahead of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s release, the team at GSC Game World releases a message for fans after the project’s long development.
STALKER 2 received an update just ahead of its release, with developer GSC Game World pushing it out on November 18. The patch is nothing short of gigantic, weighing 138.9GB. For reference, the initial STALKER 2 preload build, which rolled out on November 11, was 146.7GB in size. Social media reports from Xbox users who have already downloaded the update suggest that it replaces the majority of the game's files rather than adding to them. STALKER 2 should hence still take up around 150GB of storage space once this pre-release patch is installed.
First STALKER 2 Update Is Limited to Xbox Consoles
The update itself is only available to download on the Xbox Series X and Series S. The PC version of STALKER 2—which will be available via Steam, Xbox Store, and Epic Games Store—hasn't been made available to preload. If the update includes any multi-platform changes, they are likely to be integrated into STALKER 2's day-one PC build. GSC Game World did not share a changelog to accompany this patch, which is fairly standard practice when it comes to pre-release updates.
STALKER 2 will have a simultaneous global launch on November 20, at 8am PST / 11am EST / 5pm CET. Xbox Series X/S owners hoping to play the game as soon as possible will want to check if their consoles have downloaded the pre-release patch ahead of time, especially if they don't have gigabit internet. In many cases, this installation will have occurred without any intervention, as the current generation of Xbox consoles can download patches automatically even while they're asleep. In order for this functionality to work, it needs to be enabled by checking the "Keep my games and apps up to date" box found under Settings > System > Updates.
As for the PC version of STALKER 2, GSC has recently confirmed that it's going to be quite demanding. The recommended system requirements for playing at 60fps and 1440p include the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti / Radeon RX 6800 XT, 32GB of RAM, and Intel Core i7-11700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 64%
- Released
- November 20, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- Publisher(s)
- GSC Game World
WHERE TO PLAY
Chornobyl Exclusion Zone has changed dramatically after the second massive explosion in the year 2006. Violent mutants, deadly anomalies, and warring factions have made the Zone a very tough place to survive.
Nevertheless, artifacts of unbelievable value attracted many people called S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, who entered the Zone for their own risk, striving to make a fortune out of it or even to find the Truth concealed in the Heart of Chornobyl.
EPIC NONLINEAR STORY IN SEAMLESS OPEN WORLD
Take over a role of the lone stalker and explore photorealistic seamless open world in a 64-km² radioactive zone with a variety of environments that reveal post-apocalyptic atmosphere from different angles. Make your way through the Zone to define your destiny as you choose your paths within highly branching epic story.
VARIETY OF ENEMIES AND HUNDREDS OF WEAPON COMBINATIONS
Meet members of different factions deciding who of them worth your friendship and who deserve a bullet. Engage intense gunfights with a variety of enemies that follow different tactics trying to outsmart you. Choose your preferable firearms from 30+ types of weapons with numerous modifications that allow creating hundreds of distinctive lethal combinations.
LEGENDARY MUTANTS WITH DIFFERENT BEHAVIOUR MODELS
Prepare to encounter horrifying mutated creatures that will try to slaughter you following different behaviour model. Each mutant may appear in different subtypes which makes their behaviour less predictible. Truly extreme danger represent regions with lairs with numerous mutants hunting in large groups.
ARTIFACTS OF INCREDIBLE VALUE AND UNFORGIVING ANOMALIES
The most valuable artifacts and secrets of the Zone are hidden in the most dangerous places. Beware of the hazardous anomalies and unique devastating arch-anomalies as you hunt for highly valuable artifacts scattered around the Zone. Will you dare to unveil the mysteries of the Zone that took lives of many others before you?
GOOD HUNTING, STALKER!
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Open-World, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival
