Update (Dec 16, 2026): Hey guys, the author of the article on the line. Due to the last-minute complications, we have to delay the Stories Untold update by a couple of days. You can expect it to release on December 18. We appreciate your patience and are also sorry for possible frustration. It will be worth it, though — we promise!
On December 16 we will release a content update for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl with a brand new storyline which will bring:
- 8 quests that can take hours to complete
- 7 locations to explore
- 6 characters with their own backgrounds and stories
- A unique weapon
- A hub to create
All of this — completely free for all owners of the game. Christmas arrived earlier in the Zone. Let’s get into it.
What’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R. all about?
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl gives you a chance to jump into the Chornobyl Anomalous Zone. A place frozen in time since 1986, but re-emerged after the second explosion caused by secret scientific experiments.
It is an abandoned area, surrounded by a massive perimeter wall to protect the outside world from what was left inside after horrific experiments. Now, this place is full of mysteries, buried secrets, horrific mutants, anomalies, artifacts, and… people.
Those are called stalkers. Caring only about themselves or their close group. Each and every one with the intention to get something from the Zone — money, fame, answers to the deepest personal questions and God knows what else.
You are one of them.
So what is this new quest?
Strange things start happening near the Malachite on the western part of the map. The research groups sent by scientists were reporting a signal interfering with their usual PDA communications. After listening to it, stalkers were suffering from headaches, nose bleeds, and hallucinations.
Professor Medulin witnessed everything with his own eyes. While being good at scientific research, he didn’t know enough about the radio signal and what to do to figure out what was happening. That’s where Banzai steps in, a radio enthusiast, who also joined the investigation, but something went wrong.
You may hear their emergency transmission almost anywhere in the Zone. Pay close attention to the Red Forest Region on your map, and from here on, your intuition, rationality and choices will lead you down the rabbit hole to see how deep it is.
Never forget about your gear
No stalker embarks on an expedition unprepared. That’s where the new weapon comes in handy.
The GP37V2 is a modified version of the GP37 rifle, crafted for the most tactically proficient players.
It features a pre-installed suppressor and a low-magnification scope. The trigger group has been modified to support single and burst fire modes only.
The cost of failure is higher, but in the hands of a skillful operator, the GP37V2 can reward you with its precision and power. And even if that somehow doesn’t sound like the best fit for your playstyle — you still have 30+ weapons (plus attachments) in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to choose your favorite from.
New locations and places
As a bounty hunter, you need to explore, loot, and survive. Believe us when we say that the Fairy Tale Pioneer Camp and the Old Mine in Red Forest are worth your time.
If you have already travelled the Zone south-to-north and east-to-west, you’ll see some familiar locations are now re-inhabited by stalkers. The story will lead you through Car Dump, Army Warehouses, City Boiler Room, Rail Depot near Malachite, and Volkhov SAM.
Your choices may also lead you to completely uncharted places. Trust your instincts to see how it pays off.
New hub in the Burnt Forest region
Your choice matters in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — and it literally shapes and changes the Zone. It stays true in this new story, as one of the outcomes is a whole new hub appearing in a not-so-populated area of Burnt Forest. Technician, trader, medic, guide — everyone will be there. Of course, including a place to take a nap, and your stash!
Jump into the story
This is a content update for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl that will be available to all play on December 16, 2025. Grab your permit to enter the Zone and dive into the massive open world, full of mysteries, secrets, and dangers unknown to humanity.
Take your time in this big and atmospheric adventure, lose yourself in the ultra-realistic, stunning and haunting Zone — created with photogrammetry to serve as a digital museum of a real place.
DualSense features, 3D Tempest Audio, haptics and gyro aiming — available exclusively on PlayStation 5 — will complement the extreme immersion of this atmospheric dive into the unknown.