Expanding the Zone: GSC Game World on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s Evolution and What Comes Next

Since its release last year, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has continued to grow, shaped by community feedback, technical updates, and the studio’s long-term vision for the Zone. In this interview, the developers at GSC Game World discuss how the game is evolving beyond launch — from migrating to Unreal Engine 5.5.4 and refining the A-Life system, to adding new tools, challenges, and story content. They also reflect on the importance of mods, the upcoming PlayStation 5 release, and how development has been influenced by the harsh realities of wartime Ukraine. For both veterans of the Zone and newcomers still planning their first expedition, there’s much to look forward to.

The roadmap highlights a migration to Unreal Engine 5.5.4. Can you share what this transition means for the game in terms of stability, performance, and potential new features players might notice?

The primary focus is optimization. Transitioning to a new engine version is always a challenging endeavor, but when it comes to enhancing the gaming experience, we always strive to push the boundaries of available technology. The new engine version enables us to elevate the gaming experience, so we must make every effort to ensure players get that maximum experience. In fact, we anticipate a significant performance boost — and we’re excited to showcase it in action when the time comes.

New tools like night vision, binoculars, and the Immersive Display Mode are being introduced. How do these additions change the way players experience the Zone compared to the launch version?

We thoroughly analyze the feedback we receive from players. If a significant portion of the audience requests adding mutant parts to loot, we implement them. Binoculars and night vision goggles were among the most frequent requests. We believe these additions will significantly change nighttime gameplay and provide players with better tools to plan their expeditions. Naturally, they’ll also enhance immersion.

The A-Life system has always been a hallmark of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise. With the latest updates, how are NPC behaviors evolving, particularly with aspects like vision in darkness and combat interactions with mutants?

The general line of the gradual system evolution (we’re contributing to A-Life with almost, if not all, updates we release) is towards increasing the believability of the NPC behaviour - both peaceful and combat. If we compare the current implementation to 1.0, the difference would be more than noticeable already. We will just continue moving forward in that direction.

Generally speaking, any global system, especially connected to AI and NPC behaviour, in a huge game without loading screens, is a subject of heavy optimization and testing to say the least. But we’re quite proud of the results.

Players can expect new anomalies, missions, and even returning characters. How do you approach balancing nostalgia for longtime fans with the need to introduce fresh stories and experiences?

We believe we’ve found that balance during development. At its core, gameplay-wise, it’s still a game about solitude, expeditions, and survival — exactly as a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game should be. Certain elements — like over three hours of cutscenes, a large number of animations, including for weapons, and a vast open world that the series has always gravitated toward — were built on top of this "core formula." The characters and locations are a mix of old and new, and we approached both with respect for the nostalgia and the established universe, while also dedicating significant time to crafting the lore and story, including events that precede even the first game.

The roadmap mentions a new Master difficulty, changes to stamina, and reworked stash looting. What philosophy guided these gameplay adjustments, and how do they affect the survival experience in the Zone?

The new difficulty level will motivate hardcore fans to return to the Zone or replay the game once more, while other changes focus on balance adjustments and basic usability improvements. We’ve always wanted the Zone to be a place where people want to live and spend time, even after completing the main story campaign. You could say these changes lay the groundwork for moving in that direction.

With Zone Kit moving into Phase 2, players will gain access to audio modding, narrative tools, and better compatibility. How important is community-driven content for the long-term vision of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and what kinds of mods are you most excited to see?

Part of this answer ties into the previous one — we wanted to create a "living" Zone that feels like a place people want to inhabit. This means it can serve as a home for countless stories, both official and fan-made. We’ve always loved mods; they’re a testament to the fans’ passion and have kept the franchise alive during periods without new game releases.

To prove this commitment, modders now have access to the most thorough and detailed official modkit in the history of the IP. As we progress through different phases, fans will be able to dive even deeper, including creating new story-driven content.

The PS5 release is on the horizon. What unique challenges did the team face while preparing the game for Sony’s console, and can players expect platform-specific features or optimizations?

For us, this is another platform to work on, and we can give it our full attention since the PC and Xbox Series X/S versions have already been released. Following our philosophy of delivering the best possible experience the exact technology allows, we’re naturally leveraging the features available on the PS5. In terms of DualSense support, we’re utilizing Adaptive Triggers, Haptic Feedback, as well as the lightbar, touchpad, controller speaker, and gyroscopic aiming.
Both the PS5 and PS5 Pro support spatial audio, and the PS5 Pro version also includes graphical enhancements compared to the base version.

Can you already hint at what players might expect from the first expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2? Will it lean more into story-driven content, new regions of the Zone, or systems that expand gameplay?

Yes, these are large-scale story DLCs, each of which will advance the Zone’s narrative and encourage players to explore new content. It’s clear that many (if not all) of the suggestions in the question are quite true-to-life, and we’re eager to share more details about the first DLC, which is being developed as we speak. The wait won’t be too long!

GSC Game World continues to work under extremely difficult circumstances in Ukraine. How does the cooperation between your teams in Prague and Kyiv function today, and how has this influenced the development process?

The war in Ukraine continues, and attacks have intensified recently. All the stories we’ve often shared prior to the release — about worrying for our employees during shelling, relocation, and working between Europe and Ukraine — remain unfortunately true. Ukrainians have endured and continue to endure daily experiences that no one should have to go through.

Of course, we’ve adapted to new processes, but this by no means suggests that anything happening is remotely close to normal. If you or your readers are interested in learning about how our game was developed, we recommend watching the documentary War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 on YouTube. It’s a challenging but honest film about development in wartime conditions. We’re deeply grateful to our partners at Microsoft for bringing this project to life with us.

Beyond the current roadmap, what is your long-term vision for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2? Do you see it as a constantly evolving platform with new content and community mods, or more as a complete story with a clear endpoint?

We absolutely love S.T.A.L.K.E.R., we love the Zone, and we’re incredibly proud of the world we’ve created. We believe it’s rich and vast enough to encompass a wide variety of stories. Right now, we’re focused on supporting the game and developing two DLCs, and it’s quite possible we have plans beyond that — everything in its own time. The most important thing is that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is back, the doors to the Zone are open again, and we’re thrilled to welcome all players — those who have already experienced the game and those who will in the future. As people who poured an immense amount of love and effort into this game, we naturally want this world to live on for as long as possible.