STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s pre-load is live ahead of next week’s launch into Game Pass and it’s a chonky boy.
Free space will be at a premium
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s pre-load is now live on Xbox Series consoles and it weighs in at an eye watering 146.58 GB of space on the console. As of the time of writing the pre-load is not yet live on the Microsoft Store on PC. I would expect the file size to be similar there, and will update this piece once I know for sure.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the latest game in the long-running beloved franchise. You’re a hunter in the zone around Chornobyl, looking for artifacts and other riches. The title describes itself as “Discover the vast Chornobyl Exclusion Zone full of dangerous enemies, deadly anomalies and powerful artifacts. Unveil your own epic story as you make your way to the Heart of Chornobyl. Choose your paths wisely, as they will determine your fate and shape the future of the humankind in the end.”
Developer GSC Game World was featured in a recent documentary that detailed making this game during the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
As per their earlier announcement, today Xbox and GSC Game World have released their feature-length documentary about their journey in developing STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.
Per the press release: Titled War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, this feature-length documentary offers an in-depth look at the emotional journey of GSC Game World, a Ukrainian video game developer with nearly 500 employees, as they navigate the challenges of developing the highly anticipated sequel to their 2007 first-person survival shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., amidst the outbreak of the full-fledged war in Ukraine. What started as an ambitious project evolved into a deeply personal and historical endeavor, forged in the most unimaginable circumstances.
“This film isn’t just about the hardest game development of all time. It’s about resilience and the unyielding human spirit in the face of unimaginable challenges. It’s about the importance of creation in a time of destruction…a defiant act of making something meaningful in the face of adversity.” says director Andrew Stephan (Who directed the excellent Power On: The Story of Xbox).
It’s gut-wrenching stuff. When it was looking increasingly likely that war was going to officially break out, management for GSC Game World began to co-ordinate travel and lodging for over 180 employees to move them somewhere safer. This move included their families, and former staff.
The other 130 plus employees however, decided to remain behind, regardless of whether war become a reality of not. For one, in an interview during the documentary, there was no choice.