A Project Zomboid mod called Project A-Life, built around an NPC simulation inspired by the A-Life system from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, is out on the Steam Workshop. Factions patrol, raid, hold fortified outposts, and keep acting when the player is not present. Squads use orders, breaching, suppressive fire, sniping, and medics. The mod supports the unstable Build 42.20 release.
GSC Game World released Phase 2 of the Zone Kit mod development kit for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The update makes more of the internal tools used in the game's actual development available to modders. Players can now create original stories and quests, edit in-game text, add custom sounds and dialogue, save and load mod data, and test mods directly in the editor. Zone Kit remains free on the Epic Games Store.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Update 2.0 releases today, August 20. A benchmark video from MxBenchmarkPC compares Unreal Engine 5.5 against 5.1. Frame rates improve significantly in CPU-heavy scenes like city areas and areas with many NPCs, while GPU-bound scenes show little change. The update also reworks vegetation, lighting, and terrain visuals.
GSC Game World released the large expansion "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope" for "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl" on August 20, 2026. The DLC opens the new Iron Forest area and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where the rival factions Duty and Freedom form an uneasy alliance to investigate a mysterious phenomenon called the Blast that activates mutants. The story follows protagonist Skif alongside Duty veteran Zulu and Freedom's Mavka as they uncover the source of the Blast. The expansion is priced at 3,990 yen and is included in the Ultimate Edition; Deluxe Edition owners get it at no extra cost. Players need to have progressed over 20 hours into the main story and cleared the SIRCAA facility quest to access the content. The accompanying Update 2.0 migrates the game to Unreal Engine 5.5.4, overhauls lighting and AI, and adds new weapons, three types of binoculars, and customizable difficulty settings. The DLC has received a Metacritic score of 85 for the PC version based on 14 reviews.
GSC Game World detailed Update 2.0 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, arriving alongside the Cost of Hope story expansion. The update introduces a new engine version, a full visual overhaul, three binocular types, four new weapons, custom difficulty rules, and A-Life improvements. It launches August 20 at 10 PM JST on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
GSC Game World announced Update 2.0 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will release August 20 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The patch includes an engine update and a graphics overhaul covering lighting, shadows, reflections, terrain, and vegetation, plus improvements to the A-Life NPC and mutant simulation. Custom Rules add granular difficulty adjustments. New content brings three binocular types, four weapons including the Arev assault rifle, and new sights. Weather now affects visibility and hearing. The Cost of Hope expansion DLC also arrives the same day.
Sega released a new gameplay trailer for the large downloadable content "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope" on August 7, 2026. The approximately eight-minute video, titled "Chornobyl NPP & Iron Forest Exploration," introduces exploration, combat, and new locations set in the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Iron Forest. The expansion is scheduled for release on August 20 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The main game is a survival horror shooter set in an open-world Zone rendered with Unreal Engine 5. Cost of Hope offers dozens of hours of gameplay and adds two new areas, each with unique hubs, quests, and activities. The story depicts hope in a collapsed world. In the Iron Forest, the player climbs a transmission tower while encountering a new anomaly called "Gaze." In the nuclear power plant area, battles against zombified stalkers take place within complex buildings. The expansion is distributed by GSC Game World.
GSC Game World announced on July 27 that the first major story expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, titled Cost of Hope, will launch on August 20. The DLC adds two new regions: the Iron Forest and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, each with its own hub, quests, and activities. The story follows protagonist Skif on the same timeline as the main game and focuses on the escalating conflict between the Duty and Freedom factions. Player choices will alter the narrative and affect the entire Zone. The content volume is estimated at dozens of hours. A major free update, version 2.0, will arrive alongside the DLC, upgrading the game to the latest version of Unreal Engine 5 and adding new content and improvements. The DLC is positioned as the middle chapter of a new trilogy, with a second story DLC planned. Cost of Hope will be available on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com, Microsoft Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
GSC Game World released a new story trailer for the major expansion DLC Cost of Hope for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The trailer, titled Between Duty and Freedom, shows the conflict between the Duty and Freedom factions. The expansion offers over 20 hours of main story gameplay, two new regions, and a non-linear narrative. It is scheduled for summer 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
GSC Game World released a trailer for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl DLC 'Cost of Hope,' showing a conflict between the Duty and Freedom factions. The player character Skif must choose a side, shaping the future of the Zone. The DLC launches this summer on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.