So, it looks like STALKER 2 may be delayed.
Honestly, I doubt this surprises anyone. STALKER 2's development (in
all its numerous iterations) has been nothing /but/ delays, and given
the unlawful invasion of Ukraine by Russia, more delays were only to
be expected. But apparently now Microsoft is so certain of these
delays, that not only have they removed the ability to pre-order the
game, they've also started offering refunds to people who already
bought it*. That's never a good sign.
STALKER 2 is, of course, being developed by a Ukrainian team (although some-but-not-all have shifted their base of operations to Prague), so
it's a wonder the game is still under development at all. Still,
losing money to refunds and future revenue from pre-orders may be the
killing blow for the game.
I was never the biggest fan of STALKER - it never lived up to its
hype, as far as I was concerned, and had a number of flaws that kept
it from being a real classic - but it was a unique take on the FPS
experience and I managed to eke some enjoyment from the first three
parts of the saga. I wasn't expecting much from the sequel, but still
I was looking forward to its release - especially given both the
developer's and their country's underdog status. So I am hoping that
GSC somehow manages to survive this latest disaster. But it isn't
looking good.
Well, in the meantime the original STALKER and its two stand-alone
expansions are still playable, especially since fans have modded the
games into a more presentable and enjoyable experience than when they
were released. We'll always have Chernobyl.
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* read more about it here
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/stalker-2-refunds-reportedly-being-issued-due-to-release-date-postponement/
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