STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is not ending with Cost of Hope, as GSC Game World is simultaneously developing its long-promised free multiplayer mode and a second story expansion. The Ukrainian studio says the next DLC will be strikingly different from the first expansion, although no release window or detailed content has been announced.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl was developed and launched under extraordinary circumstances, but GSC Game World has spent almost two years steadily repairing and expanding the Zone. Since its November 2024 release, the game has reached version 2.0 and received its first major narrative expansion, Cost of Hope. We covered how far the game has come in detail in our STALKER 2: Cost of Hope review.

At Gamescom, GSC Game World leaders Ievgen and Maria Grygorovych confirmed to Insider Gaming that two separate projects remain in active development. The first is the previously announced free-to-play multiplayer mode. It has not been cancelled, although the studio still has no release date or detailed gameplay information to share.

The second project is another story-focused expansion. GSC revealed even less about this one, but the developers stressed that it will not simply repeat the formula of Cost of Hope.

“It will be quite different from Cost of Hope and something players simply do not expect.”

The comment suggests that the next DLC could do more than add quests, potentially changing familiar rules or structures within the Zone. GSC is keeping its plans deliberately vague for now, so fans will have to wait for a full reveal before drawing firm conclusions.

The long-term support plan for STALKER 2 is nevertheless clear. After extensive technical work, GSC Game World is turning its attention to the game’s content roadmap. A multiplayer mode and another story expansion show that the PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series title still has a substantial future ahead.

Source: 3DJuegos