The long-awaited and highly anticipated S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl was given a release date in April 2022 last year, with developer GSC Game World now taking to Twitter to announce that it has been delayed. The new date is December 8, 2022 for PC and Xbox Series X|S with GSC noting "these additional seven months of development are needed to fulfill our vision and achieve the desired state of the game".

Adding, "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the biggest project in the history of GSC, and it requires thorough testing and polishing. We are convinced that development should take as long as necessary, especially in the case of such a project. This decision is not an easy one, but we are doing the best possible to deliver you a game that can live up to the expectations."

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— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) January 12, 2022

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is definitely one of the most anticipated releases for this year, but the delay itself isn't unexpected. The game has been in development for several years and is shaping up to be quite the excursion into the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will also release day one on Xbox Game Pass for PC and Console.