S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl's roadmap for the latter half of this year is now available, outlining updates to both the base game and the Zone Kit Modifications Tool, along with plans for its confirmed release on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
"Our primary focus in the near future is upgrading the game to Unreal Engine 5.5.4," GSC Game World explained. "This will bring new features and tools to enhance the Zone, but more importantly, the latest Unreal Engine 5 optimizations will improve stability and performance."
However, GSC acknowledges that this move might "disrupt the timing of other updates," adding: "We're taking this risk — as true stalkers would — and will strive to meet our 2025 goals."
While multiplayer remains unmentioned — to the disappointment of many players — here is what's planned for later this year:
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl 2025 Update Roadmap
Engine update to Unreal Engine 5.5.4 (for optimization), various night vision devices, binoculars, A-Life updates: more A-Life Zone technical improvements, NPCs have reduced night vision, NPC combat updates, mutants combat and balance updates, new anomalies, new missions from old and new friends, new weather scenarios, master difficulty preset, extended day/night cycle, stashes loot rework, stamina and energy drinks rework, immersive display mode, player equipment UI updates, more UI updates and improvements, local save backup restoration, further optimization and anomaly fixes, Zone Kit — Phase 1 to Phase 2, audio modding (Wwise), narrative tools, improved compatibility for mods interacting with game systems, enhanced Blueprints modification support, technical improvements and optimization, Discord holiday event, more Stalker Legends of the Zone Enhanced Edition improvements, release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
"Thank you for your continued feedback and support," the team concluded. "Without your help, this would not have been possible. Thank you!"
"Beyond the technical issues affecting S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl lies a unique greatness," we wrote in our S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl review, giving it an 8/10. "It stands out as a refreshingly brutal shooter that aims to captivate you with its incredible atmosphere and keep you engaged throughout this long, demanding journey." Read more on how S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has transformed the studio amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine here.
If you missed it, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl's 1.5 Patch is now live, introducing various tweaks and fixes, but what truly captures our attention — and storage space — is the introduction of the 700GB S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Zone Kit.
