STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl will arrive on PlayStation 5 on November 20, 2025. The sequel to GSC Game World's award-winning shooter faced a long, troubled dev cycle before releasing as a PC and Xbox exclusive in late 2024. After years of development and several post-launch updates, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is also now preparing for its PS5 debut.
GSC Game World announced that STALKER 2 would get a PS5 release in July 2025. While the studio didn't reveal a specific date at that time, it promised the Sony version would come sometime in late 2025 and that it would get PS5-exclusive features and additional enhancements on the PS5 Pro. Now, little over a month later, fans of the franchise have some more details on both the launch window and those new features.
Stalker 2 Releases New Update for July 2025
Developer GSC Game World releases the patch notes for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s update 1.5.1, marking the end of chaos hour.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl Will Come to PS5 and PS5 Pro on November 20, 2025
A trailer dropped during Gamescom 2025 revealed that the PS5 version of STALKER 2 is coming out this November, in line with the earlier "late 2025" window. The date is also exactly one year after STALKER 2 released on Xbox and PC after multiple delays, some of which stemmed from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where GSC Game World is based. Those delays didn't stop the game from reaching impressive heights upon launch, though, which was also likely helped by being a day-one title on Xbox Game Pass. Its success seems far from over, too, with Sony fans about to get the chance to dive into it later this year.
When the PS5 version comes out, PlayStation users will be able to use the DualSense's motion sensor for gyroscopic aiming, as well as support for the controller's adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, and touchpad gestures. Those on a PS5 Pro can enjoy higher shadow quality, improved reflections, and volumetric cloud and fog rendering, thanks to the console's extra power and ray-tracing capabilities. Sony users are also getting the game after STALKER 2 released its major 1.5 update, which brought a slew of new content and gameplay improvements.
Despite its development challenges, STALKER 2 was able to draw 6 million players just three months after its initial release. It was also so popular upon launch that it caused internet issues in Ukraine. Now that it's coming to a new platform, those numbers will likely climb even higher. GSC Game World has also promised ongoing support for both its latest title and the STALKER: Legends of the Zone Trilogy, so more updates are sure to come.
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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.
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Open-World, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- How Long To Beat
- 36 hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 144.75 GB
