Stalker 2 To Have Playable Demo At Gamescom 2023

We are finally getting a substantial update on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

As reported by Tech4Gamers, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is one of several games that will have a playable demo in this year’s upcoming Gamescom.

While not as high profile or as well known, Gamescom has emerged to be as significant a trade fair as E3 once was. That, is of course, partly enabled by how much game development comes out of Europe.

However, non-European companies like Microsoft and Nintendo have also been adding a significant presence to Gamescom, with the knowledge that what they do in this event, much like in E3 or The Game Awards, does make its way to the rest of the world.

This year’s Gamescom is being held again in their old venue of Koelnmesse, in Cologne, Germany. It will be held close to the end of this month, from August 23 to August 27, 2023.

The playable S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be part of Xbox’s presence in the event. This year is particularly significant for Microsoft as they will be holding their biggest booths they have ever had for the show this year.

Of course, Microsoft does have a lot to show Gamescom attendees, from fresh previews of their next major AAA, Starfield, to previews of promising and well regarded upcoming games, such as the new Fable and South of Midnight.

Microsoft may also use the event as an opportunity to feature Activision Blizzard King and their games. While the Microsoft – Activision deal has yet to be formally signed, this is a huge opportunity for the company to get their fans excited for what could be to come when they finally clear all the legal and regulatory hurdles in the future.

It was very important that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl finds itself in the spotlight in this event as well. We won’t review the history of GSC Game World’s struggles with developing the game – a situation that has lasted over a decade – but to keep fans excited, GSC and Microsoft need to make a show that the game really is coming very soon, and it is very much worth everyone’s time and attention.

While the sparse promotion is understandable given GSC’s limited resources, we expect that promotion to ramp up when GSC hits gold on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl or is close to getting there. But gamers can’t wait for that to keep their interest sustained for the game.

Hopefully GSC can show us a new trailer or vertical slice, or even better, some tangible proofs of where they are in development, as they have stuck to the claim that they will finish it by this year.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is planned for release in 2023, on Windows and Xbox Series X|S.