Their full statement:
Dear stalkers,
Last year, during Gamescom 2023, we finally had the chance to meet in person. We gathered around the campfire with you to share something valuable that we have been creating for you for all these years — a small part of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Publicly, for the first time ever.
Our one-time initiative then transformed into a journey from campfire to campfire across France, Brazil, Singapore and other countries. Thousands of players were able to play the game themselves and give us the much-needed feedback afterwards.
And as true friends always do, you shared your honest thoughts about the game. Both positive and negative, and we are thankful for that. From your insights, we figured out two key points: the one to celebrate and the one to consider seriously.
The first one: the Zone remains the Zone. In its true beauty and after our likeness. The game absolutely feels and plays like S.T.A.L.K.E.R, the atmosphere, hardcore style, harsh and unwelcoming environment are ready to cook, and we can’t be more grateful for these words, as they basically sum up both the key intention and the main inspiration for the project from the very beginning at the same time.
The second one was: the gear in the backpack should be checked one more time to be completely sure it will not fail us in the most needed moment. On the technical side of things — the game needs more time.
Throughout the frankly challenging development process, we understood the time was of the team's main essence. Seeing the scope of polishing and understanding that we can’t push your patience too much, we were absolutely dedicated to releasing the game in Q1 2024, and we worked extra hard to meet the release window.
That, however, doesn’t change the fact that at the beginning of this year, we still witnessed the certain amount of technical imperfections that hold S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 below the expected standards for the final experience our fans are waiting for.
While there is absolutely no way to make another delay sound less dim, we decided to be clear about our reasons to postpone the game for the sake of yet another wave of polishing.
The final release date for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now September 5, 2024.
We know that you are waiting for this moment, as well as we do. But the preparation needs to be done so that the journey into the Zone goes smoothly and as planned. Thanks for your patience and continuous support, and be ready to see a lot of info about the game further this year.
