Phil Spencer Talks S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 At Gamescom

Phil Spencer had a special message when asked about having S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on hand at Gamescom.

Now, once again, the history of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s development is quite convoluted, and much of it isn’t relevant anymore. The sudden arrival of the Russian invasion of Ukraine created serious problems for Ukrainian game company GSC Games Studio.

The most recent delay could be attributed to these current events, and when you consider that its history goes all the way back to 2010, it was a really tough break for that to come up in the final hour and threaten to end everything.

And so it was very important for Microsoft to step up as a partner for the game. While Microsoft acquired exclusivity for the game, the terms are not quite clear. Microsoft is not listed as publisher, so its likely that that isn’t their position. GSC Games World has said in the past that they talked to Microsoft about bringing the game to PlayStation 5, but it isn’t planned at this time.

At the very least, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be Day One on Game Pass. That was sufficient justification, it seems, for Microsoft to give the game major representation in their recent Xbox marketing. And that includes the surprise of bringing a demo to Gamescom, a clear indication they are well on their way to finishing it. And in fact, Phil has played it himself.

Phil Spencer shared his thoughts on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl in the latest Xbox Wire:

We’re at a big gaming show, I like to talk about video games, and then you go talk to that team in terms of what they’ve been through, and it makes the discussion about video games seem almost irrelevant.

In terms of the life experience, what they’ve had to live through in Ukraine. So to spend a little bit of time with the team – hear where they’re at – are people safe? And not everybody is, or has been. And yet they’re here showing their game with pride. 

That kind of transcends what video games are about – it’s awesome that we’re here as part of it. I want STALKER 2 to come out, I want it to be great, but more than any of that I want that team to be safe. And I think building their game has created a rallying point for them, among other things.

With a lot of horrible stuff going on around them, they’ve had this thing – it could have been a video game, it could have been anything – but they’ve had this video game to kind of give them a center.

We’ve tried to be a helpful part of their process, but it’s all been about them, and that conviction that they have. Having a STALKER 2 section in the booth, having it playable, having some of the team here – that’s pretty special.”

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be releasing on Q1 2024, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows, via Steam and Epic Games Store. It will also be Day One on Game Pass.