Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has come a very long way since launch. The open-world survival game has seen some major upgrades with the game’s new 1.7 update bringing more content, performance improvements and more to long-time players, as well as releasing on PlayStation 5.
Prior to the launch of the game’s PS5 port, we caught up with GSC Game World to discuss the ongoing development of Stalker 2, including its upcoming DLC which is in active development. When the game was initially released, the game’s Ultimate Edition came with a season pass that promised “two future expansions” as well as other DLC.
GSC Game World has confirmed that Stalker 2’s first DLC will launch in 2026, but the exact contents of that expansion have not been revealed. However, we finally have some new details on what fans fan expect from the first expansion for the brilliant survival game.
“We recently confirmed that the first DLC is coming out next year,” GSC communications director Zakhar Bocharov told us in a recent interview. “Our players love a well-thought-out world, good stories, expanding and deepening the plot.”
With that in mind, the developer explained that the upcoming DLC will offer a brand-new cinematic experience that apes the presentation available in the game’s base game. While new gameplay additions will likely arrive with the expansion, the focus is set on delivering a strong story.
“With the Stalker 2 release comes a new cinematic experience too – with a totally fresh level of cutscene direction,” Bocharov continued. “The main goal is a quality add-on: more iconic gameplay moments for the series, more story, a focus on memorable characters, and explaining old and new mysteries of the Stalker world.”
Last year, GSC explained that Stalker 2 DLCs would offer “fresh perspectives on the Zone”, which teased additional protagonists outside of the main game’s Skif. At the time, the studio told VideoGamer, “To keep this from sounding too vague — though it’s absolutely sincere — we want to reassure everyone that with the story expansions, we’re really eager to surprise players and show this world from fresh perspectives.”
When we asked whether or not Skif would continue to be the protagonist of the upcoming DLC expansion, GSC didn’t say, instead saying, “We’re really proud of how Skif turned out as the protagonist of Stalker 2, and the role he plays in the series—but you’ll have to wait a bit longer for those specific details.”
Nevertheless, Bocharov explained that the team “can already say the first DLC will have solid lasting appeal and a really gripping story that’ll definitely thrill fans”. Additionally, it seems that fans won’t have to wait long for additional information on the upcoming expansion with the team teasing “more details soon”.
It’s undeniable that Stalker 2 has come leaps and bounds since its initial release, and there’s still more work to be done. Alongside DLCs, GSC Game World is far from done with its continued improvements to the base game with more updates planned for all players.
