GSC Game World today announced that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope, the first major expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, is coming to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 on August 20, 2026.
The longstanding conflict between the Zone’s leading factions, Duty and Freedom, takes a dramatic turn. As tensions rise and the fragile peace between them begins to unravel, the fate of the Zone hangs in the balance.
In Cost of Hope, players once again step into the role of Skif — the protagonist of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl — as a mysterious PDA signal draws him into events unfolding alongside the main game’s story. Explore uncharted locations, encounter unexpected allies and enemies, discover powerful weapons, and experience a gripping new story. With dozens of hours of content, your choices will shape the future of the Zone in this major new chapter of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. saga.
Launching in line with Cost of Hope on August 20, GSC will also release the massive Update 2.0 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Alongside the upgrade to a new version of Unreal Engine 5, the update will bring a variety of new content and improvements. It will be available free of charge to all owners of the game.
In the coming weeks, GSC will share more on both Cost of Hope and Update 2.0 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Stay tuned to official channels for more news.
