Stalker 2 developer GSC Game World has denied the game has suffered any further delays after preorder customers noticed Xbox was issuing refunds.
As spotted by VGC (via XGP) last week, fans who had preordered Stalker 2 received notices stating that their orders had been cancelled. According to the notice, the reason for the cancellations was that the ongoing invasion of Ukraine had meant the game would now release at an “unconfirmed date in the future”. Xbox also disabled the ability to submit any further preorders via its online store.
Given how long it’s taken to get Stalker 2 even close to a release date, fans were understandably concerned. The game had already been delayed once due to Vladimir Putin’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, where the studio was based. Another delay would be understandable, but painful. However, according to GSC Game World, now operating out of Prague, the cancellations are nothing to worry about. The game is still slated for launch sometime in 2023 and production is still moving forward. The preorder cancellations only affect the Xbox Store and are being issued as a matter of Xbox policy. Those with preorders on Steam, Epic, or GOG will find their preorders are still in place unless they wish to cancel them directly.
“We had to postpone the game to 2023 with no exact release date for now,” said a GSC spokesperson who spoke with PC Gamer. “We made the announcement at E3 Microsoft Extended show, alongside the Dev Diary and intro cutscene.
“Microsoft refunds preorders for the games with no exact release date. When we announce the exact release date later on, the preorders will go live again for Xbox. Preorders on PC (Steam, EGS, GOG) are not affected by this.”
So breathe a sigh of relief, Stalker 2 fans. Despite the march of time, and even the worst, most warlike impulses of mankind itself, it seems that GSC is determined to ship that game one way or another. Good luck to them. We’ll be waiting.
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