Heart of Chornobyl Reveals Free Story Expansion Update
GSC Game World announced a brand-new story update coming to STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and players don’t have to wait long to finally get their hands on the free content. After reaching its first anniversary on November 20, 2025, GSC Game World has managed to keep busy, not only celebrating the game’s major milestone, but releasing new content for players to enjoy. Alongside a year’s worth of updates, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl finally launched for PlayStation players, bringing a third ecosystem of players into the world.
Unfortunately for Xbox fans, the arrival on PlayStation 5 coincided with the fact that STALKER 2 was also removed from Xbox Game Pass a few days before. The announcement left more than a few fans frustrated, mainly due to the fact that some of the more important updates that launched after that date meant that players wouldn’t get to experience them. Some even called the removal a sort of Early Access period, with a year’s worth of updates finally marking a full launch, even though the game was indeed released as a finished product at the time. Either way, GSC Game World continues to expand the game with new content, with a new content update announced seemingly out of the blue.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl Releases Major December Update
GSC Game World releases a new update for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, adding an important new mechanic while continuing to address various issues.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl Story Expansion Release Date
STALKER 2 fans wondering when a new content announcement would be made finally got their wish as a big new update is set to launch tomorrow, December 16, 2025. The content adds a brand-new storyline for players to follow through 8 quests that span 7 locations across STALKER 2‘s already sizable map, including a new zone called the Burnt Forest. Better yet, this isn’t going to cost anything as the update will be entirely free to download and enjoy.
According to the post, players will hear a distress signal after the update is applied, prompting them to head towards the Red Forest, where research groups were reporting a mysterious radio transmission has been causing other stalkers to suffer from headaches, nose bleeds, and hallucinations. Alongside the investigation, players will be able to utilize the new GP37V2 rifle, preinstalled with a low-mag scope and suppressor, while also supporting single and burst fire modes. Of course, if the tactical rifle isn’t preferred, players have a vast selection of STALKER 2 weapons to bring with them.
GSC Game World also teases that player choice in this new story campaign is very important as it will shape and change the experience with different outcomes depending on decisions made. Some players may even come across a new hub in a lower populated section of the Burnt Forest, including vendors and places to rest. While the official announcement came through the PlayStation Blog, GSC Game World did confirm that the story content isn’t exclusive to Sony’s console and will launch on PC and Xbox at the same time.
The update itself comes at a great time for players both new and old. With the game having been out for a year at this point, GSC Game World has released a ton of updates since launch, with one of the bigger ones arriving alongside STALKER 2‘s release on the PlayStation 5. In fact, Update 1.7 included a large number of game optimizations to the world as well as the enemies that inhabit the game. The update also added Master difficulty and Expedition modifier for those who want an even greater challenge, though players will need to start a new game to take advantage of it.
- Released
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November 20, 2024
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco