The first S.T.A.L.K.E.R games introduced players to the Zone, a highly irradiated area where dangerous creatures and characters roam. Players hoped to play a sequel to the series for years but were content with modding the previous titles.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was finally announced on May 15, 2018, on the developer’s Twitter account. Years have passed without much information, but now GSC Game World is giving fans more information.
The official Twitter account has announced the Unreal Engine powers S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
They stated the reason was that “It gives the opportunity to make the game you wait for with the atmosphere of tension and mystery the flesh and blood of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe.”
Using the Unreal Engine will give GSC Game World more power to create the world they’ve envisioned. Previously, the games were developed on the X-Ray engine.
An important reason for switching to the Unreal Engine is for the fans. The Twitter statement goes on to say “Additionally, Unreal Engine harmonizes well with out goal to make modding more easy and accessible. User modifications help the world of the Zon to live on while we are busy with making a sequel, and we can’t be more grateful for that.”
Modding has been a big part of keeping the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series alive as fans waited for news of a sequel. GSC Game World realizes how much gamers love modding games, as well. Mods often increase playtime and keeps players coming back to experience new content created by other gamers.
In one last note, the post says that information regarding where the game will be sold digitally or what platforms it will be released on is coming soon. Some games expressed worry over if the game will be an Epic Game Store exclusive for a year before its available on Steam, but GSC Game World hasn’t made their decision yet.
Little additional information has been released related to the game. The official website only has a teaser image of a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. with a few injuries, but no other information. Their social media accounts are slightly more active. The development team has been active in answering questions from fans since the announcement was made.
No official release date has been announced for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, but it is expected sometime in 2021.
