S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Wiki

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a first-person survival horror shooter developed and published by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World, and the fourth main entry in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. It released for Windows and Xbox Series X|S on November 20, 2024, with a PlayStation 5 version following on November 20, 2025. Set in the open-world Chornobyl Exclusion Zone decades after the original trilogy, it follows Skif, a newcomer whose home is destroyed by an anomaly, as he is drawn into the conflict between the militarised Ward and the insurgent Spark over what the Zone should become. Built on Unreal Engine 5, the game pairs hard-hitting ballistic combat and weapon maintenance with anomaly fields, artifact hunting, radiation and hunger management, and the A-Life 2.0 simulation that keeps mutants and stalkers moving through the world whether or not the player is watching. Its open map runs from the Lesser Zone and the Garbage through Rostok, Yaniv and Pripyat to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant itself.

• A-Life 2.0 Simulation - The Zone runs its own simulated population of stalkers, mutants and faction patrols that move, fight and loot independently of the player, so encounters arrive as a consequence of the simulation rather than as scripted spawns.
• Anomaly Fields and Artifact Hunting - Anomalous zones distort gravity, heat, electricity or chemistry, and each one can hold an artifact that grants a passive bonus when carried. Artifacts are also a source of radiation, so hunters have to balance the benefit against the dose.
• Survival Management - Health, bleeding, hunger, radiation and equipment condition are tracked continuously. Medkits, bandages, food, vodka and anti-rad drugs all occupy inventory weight, and sleep and rest are needed to keep the character effective.
• Ballistics, Wear and Technician Upgrades - Weapons fire simulated ammunition with real drop and penetration, degrade with use, and jam when badly worn. Technicians in the settlements repair and upgrade guns and armour in exchange for coupons and materials.
• Faction Conflict and Reputation - The Ward, Spark, Noontide, Duty, Freedom, the Bandits and the Mercenaries all hold territory and offer work. Standing with one group changes prices, access and which checkpoints will shoot on sight.
• Emissions and Shelter - Periodic emissions sweep the Zone and kill anything caught in the open. The map is covered in marked shelters, and a run that is caught between them is a run that ends.
• Open Region Progression - The campaign opens in the Lesser Zone and expands outward through the Garbage, Rostok, the Cement Factory, the Burnt Forest, the Cooling Towers, Malachite, Yaniv, Pripyat and finally the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, with guides offering paid travel between discovered hubs.