GSC Game World has acknowledged the rocky launch of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl and assured fans that improvements are already underway.

Check out our review of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2

The game’s development journey was anything but ordinary. Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the studio had to partially relocate from Kyiv to the Czech Republic. Despite these immense challenges, the highly anticipated title finally launched today on Xbox Series X | S, PC, and Game Pass.

While S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has been praised for its atmospheric setting and compelling side stories, early reviews, including one from VGC, highlighted persistent performance issues and a plethora of bugs. The PC version currently holds a Metacritic score of 74, with the Xbox Series X | S version slightly higher at 81. Nevertheless, the game has already attracted a peak of over 113,000 players on Steam, indicating a strong start despite its flaws.

A message from the GSC Game World Team.

Before you step into the Zone, we’d like to take a moment to share something from the heart. pic.twitter.com/wuLRAkq7Ba

— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) November 20, 2024

Addressing these concerns in a heartfelt message shared on X (formerly Twitter), GSC Game World expressed pride in the game, describing it as a “love letter to Ukraine.” However, they were candid about its imperfections.

“We understand that in such a game, there may still be rough edges: we literally haven’t released anything of this scale before. We’re absolutely committed to being here, monitoring your feedback, and quickly fixing any issues that need our attention.”

To tackle the issues, the studio plans to roll out hotfixes in the immediate aftermath of launch, followed by larger updates for sustained improvements. Additionally, players can look forward to free in-game content, with a detailed roadmap slated for release in December.

“We have big plans for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe,” the devs added. “In a way, today is both a return and the beginning of a grand new journey. We’re blessed to have you before, we’re blessed to have you now. The Zone belongs to you. Have fun.”

For fans, GSC’s dedication to smoothing out the game’s rough edges and expanding the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe marks a promising future for the beloved franchise.