Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl launches today! What you need to know

Over 10 years have passed since Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl was first announced — and the time for its release has finally come. Today, we’ll get to play it on both PC and Xbox Series X/S.

However, before you get started, there are some things you’ll likely want to know to make sure everything goes smoothly. Here’s what you should keep in mind about the release, downloads, and more.

Release time for Stalker 2

The official launch of Stalker 2 will take place today at 11am EST. From then on, you’ll be able to download the game if you’ve bought it. (If you pre-ordered it or if you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can already download part of the game as a preload.)

You can avoid long waiting times by pre-installing the game — as long as there aren’t any issues similar to the preload for yesterday’s Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 release. Simply start the Xbox app on your PC or console and search for Stalker 2 to start the pre-installation process.

The game is included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from day one. Incidentally, Stalker 2 will also be released on Steam at the same time, but there is no option to preload it there.

Download size for Stalker 2

The official download size of Stalker 2 on Xbox Series X/S is a whopping ~147GB. However, some users who have already installed the 140GB preload have reported a day-one patch that took up another 139GB.

After release, there will also be another patch that’s 39GB in size. All in all, you will have to download a lot of data before you can even get started. Let’s hope the game is at least well-optimized by then.

Pre-order bonuses for Stalker 2

Anyone who pre-orders the game before its official release time will receive exclusive pre-order bonuses. These include a “Veteran” rifle, a “Tourist” suit, and a “Stalker” backpack. Players will also receive additional stories and music tracks for the campfire.

In addition to the Standard Edition for $59.99, there’s also the Deluxe Edition for $79.99 (which includes a bonus side quest, a digital artbook, a soundtrack, plus special suits and unique weapons) and the Ultimate Edition for $109.99 (which includes all of the stuff from the Deluxe Edition plus more special suits and unique weapons as well as two story expansions and all future DLC).