STALKER 2 Will Not Be at the Xbox Showcase, Developer Confirms

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl will skip the Xbox Showcase, its developer has confirmed.

A post from a GSC Gameworld representative in the STALKER 2 Steam forum revealed the hotly-anticipated shooter sequel will miss June announcement events altogether, with information due in the upcoming months.

“We usually do not announce or deny our participation in shows, but this one time we’ll make an exception,” the post read.

“STALKER 2 will miss the June online conferences preferring to make important announcements in the upcoming months.

“Our plan is to give progressive updates on what we’re planning.”

The news (or lack of it) comes three years after GSC Game World re-revealed the long-awaited STALKER 2 in 2020.

STALKER 2 has seen a rather bizarre and tumultuous development cycle over the years, having been initially announced in 2010 only to then be cancelled just a year later. In 2012, reports surfaced that the game was “currently in development” without a release date before news broke in 2018 that GSC Game World was developing the sequel.

Kiev-based GSC Game World was significantly impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The studio has been vocal about the war in its home country, previously saying work on the game would continue “after the victory”.

Last summer, the studio shared a look at GSC Game World’s Kiev office and workers before and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The developer has also faced “constant cyberattacks” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

STALKER 2 is currently without a release window, but is planned to come out on PC and Xbox Series X and S.

The Xbox Showcase and Bethesda Direct livestream kicks off at 10am PT. While you wait, check out our predictions, before giving our Summer of Gaming 2023 schedule guide a look to find out what’s next.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Send news tips to [email protected].