The STALKER community grows more and more anxious and restless after the recent tweet with an ambiguous message from the official STALKER Twitter account. The message was filled with STALKER’s unique writing, including something about STALKER secrets, stories, and ‘lots of deaths for answers.’ The tweet ended with something like ‘Only Duga can tell…’ and a link. This has definitely sent the STALKER community digging in every direction.
To clarify, Duga is a giant radar in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. It’s one of the giant, mysterious, and dangerous landmarks in the STALKER 2 video games. From the tweet, it seems like the STALKER team is hinting at either a big lore update or even DLC for that location. It’s amazing news because the community has wanted more content for that portion of the game.
And what about the replies? They seem to be a mix of confusion, a lot of excitement, and demand. Someone going by the name Kommandant said they have almost 60 hours on the game, completed two endings, all in the last five days. This kind of dedication is what GRAGHHHH is made of and nothing screams STALKER obsession like that kind of commitment.
The rest are more on point. A few people are talking about Duga, stating it’s as good as anything else on the map. More direct, DeeUA asks the developers about a guide and a trader because, without those, there is no reason for players to return after the main missions. A user named kiberturist agrees and says the back and forth is the main thing that kills the gameplay. As a solution, they propose fast travel points to solve the problem. It looks pretty straightforward so I assume some developer is looking into this.
I get hail-mary-ed in this direction. So returning to the more idiotic scale comments, some are about the left side because it’s there leaving behind an idle and just… There are three filled-in regions, and the rest is just. While there are regions filled with a whole lot, there is nothing with the rest. Therefore, players are expecting more from the future DLC to fill empties with tasks and exploration. The real excitement for the upcoming content is there.
Naturally, the content has its dispiriting set. Ideological Subversion offers a dumb remark alongside a boredom emoji complaining about “coffee house poetry crap.” Thanks for a dull opinion, mate. Meanwhile, a third is already saving up for the ultimate edition of STALKER 2, stating that the franchise is her favorite. The energy is out of this world.
Faust also has this baffling conversation with the official account. Faust says, “Noble consciousness and Monolith always convey the truth only,” and the official STALKER account responds with, “I’m blind, but it’s you who cannot see.” Absolutely mysterious remarks. Perfectly fitting for the vibe of the game.
Then there are the mixed-in random questions. There was recently a question about the photo mode for the PS5 edition, which would be a fantastic method to preserve the ‘beauty’ of the Zone ../beauty? Let’s just say the bleak atmosphere of the Zone. Another question in Ukrainian was about multiplayer, which shows how far this game has reached.
The most entertaining could be the repetitive spammer, Alex, who has the habit of going to every gaming post with the same dumb comment. Steve’sGaming™ replied and called him out to go touch grass while saying he has no life. That is some level of low-level internet drama, chef’s kiss.
What can we conclude from this? The STALKER communities fans and players are largely psychologically immersed in this universe. Players are famished for additional content, particularly for the Duga region as well as the barren sections of the map. They request usability corrections such as improved travel options. Furthermore, they are expecting all the mysteries the creators are alluding to reveal. The community can be divided into staunchly loyal fans, moderately impatient players, and a small number of disruptive trolls but the affection for the Zone is unquestionable. The players are definitely craving for next update or DLC announcement. I guess it’s only Duga that knows when that will be.
