Lest you think GSC Game World was saving it for a big show, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s first paid expansion, Cost of Hope, will be launching on August 20th. A new trailer is available, highlighting the different locations that you’ll visit in the new Iron Forest and Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant regions, so check it out below.
The story sees Skif following a “mysterious PDA signal,” and getting caught up in the deteriorating rivalry between the Duty and Freedom factions. We’ve already seen new characters Zulu and Makva, who accompany the protagonist at specific points and clearly have their own mysterious agendas. How far that will go towards the expansion’s conclusion, especially since it runs parallel to the base game, remains to be seen.
Otherwise, there are also new enemies, weapons and more to discover across “dozens” of hours of new gameplay. But perhaps most enticing is the free Update 2.0 launching alongside the expansion for base game owners. It brings the long-awaited Unreal Engine 5 upgrade alongside new content (including what seem to be binoculars) and other changes. While finer details are lacking, GSC Game World says it will reveal more about the update and Cost of Hope in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. The developer recently responded to founder Sergiy Grygorovych’s claim that Xbox timed exclusivity covered the game’s budget. Learn more about that here.
