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- Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl's first expansion launches this summer
- Cost of Hope will feature protagonist Skif once more and introduce two new regions
- Cost of Hope, alongside a future story DLC, will "form a new, expansive narrative arc within the Stalker saga"
Developer GSC Game World has announced the first major expansion for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Cost of Hope, which will launch this summer for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.
Cost of Hope is what GSC is calling a "massive nonlinear expansion" that's packed with dozens of hours of gameplay." It once again features protagonist Skif as he navigates events unfolding alongside the main Heart of Chornobyl narrative.
"Step into a fresh expedition across the Zone — a massive nonlinear expansion packed with dozens of hours of gameplay. Expect haunting stories, twisted characters, and that same heavy atmosphere of decay… with just a flicker of hope breaking through.
"It’s time to step into a new chapter of a well-known conflict," the expansion's official description reads.
"Duty, one of the oldest factions, sees the Zone as a threat that must be contained and destroyed. On the other side, Freedom believes it’s a gift — something to explore and harness for the greater good. For a time, this tension was held together by a fragile peace. But deals like that rarely last."
After installing the expansion, players will receive a PDA signal that will trigger Cost of Hope's new storyline, which, once again, will have choices with consequences that affect the Zone and "far beyond it".
In addition to a new storyline, Cost of Hope also introduces two new regions to explore: the once-abandoned Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the maze-like Iron Forest Each region also has its own hub, quests, and activities, with plenty of new weapons and gear for players to collect.
GSC Game World confirmed that additional Stalker 2 expansions are in the works and will be released in installments, with Cost of Hope serving as the middle chapter of the “second trilogy."
Cost of Hope, alongside a future story expansion not yet announced, will "form a new, expansive narrative arc within the Stalker saga". More details are expected to be revealed in summer.
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