Summary
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope is the first major expansion for Heart of Chornobyl, launching Summer 2026.
- The DLC will be released for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, PC (via Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG), and PS5. Both the base game and the DLC support Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Cost of Hope includes a huge new storyline that can take dozens of hours to complete, two new regions, new and returning characters, and much more.
We just announced S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope – the first major expansion for Heart of Chornobyl – at the latest Xbox Partner Preview broadcast. It’s coming this summer, and we’re sure you want to know more, so we’re here to provide some extra details – but if you missed the trailer, take a look below.
Development of the DLC started after the release of the main game. Looking back at the time that has passed, you’re probably thinking the expansion must be pretty big. And you’re right.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is about freedom and exploration, so the whole story of Cost of Hope will take dozens of hours to complete – and those who want to see everything will easily add quite a few more on top. This is a large expansion that’s worth your wait. More engaging quests, more memorable characters and their stories, and more answers to the questions raised both in Heart of Chornobyl and the original games – that’s exactly what you’ll get here.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. at its core is about humans and their perceptions, so we’re heading into a new chapter of a conflict long familiar to fans. The factions of Duty and Freedom – enemies in the past – are now tied together by the D4 Treaty, a pact signed by every group in the Zone before the events of Heart of Chornobyl.
Duty are the ones who see the Zone as a danger to humanity. Their goal is simple: destroy that danger and protect humankind from the unknown.
Freedom see things differently. For them, the Zone is a gift – something humanity should explore and learn to use for the greater good.
For a time, this difference in views was held together by a fragile peace treaty. But agreements like that rarely keep conflicts of this scale in balance for long. Or do they?
The protagonist of the expansion is Skif, and the events unfold in parallel with the story of Heart of Chornobyl. After installing the DLC, during your playthrough of the main campaign you’ll receive a signal on your PDA that will start the expansion’s storyline.
Just like in the original game, your decisions will shape this chapter of the story. How it ends, the consequences for the Zone, its inhabitants – and who knows, maybe even the entire world – will be significant.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is also about the Zone — and that means it keeps expanding. Cost of Hope will allow you to explore two long-awaited regions that have been cut off for years and that every stalker in the Zone has dreamt of reaching: Iron Forest and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
A region isn’t just a single location. It’s a large territory, each with its own hub, along with dozens of smaller locations to discover — all filled with quests and activities.The forgotten roads leading to places you weren’t supposed to see are already there. They’re waiting for your footprints.
With Cost of Hope, we’re taking a familiar approach for those who already know the series well. The Legends of the Zone Trilogy, currently available on all major platforms, includes enhanced and updated editions of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl (2007), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky (2008), and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Prypiat (2009).
Just like that original trilogy, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will be comprised of three installments, with Cost of Hope forming the middle chapter of this “second trilogy”. Together with the future second story DLC – which we’ll talk about when the time is right – it will form a new large story within the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. saga.
Year after year, we continue working to bring the best possible S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience to as many players as possible who are eager to enter the Zone. That’s why we’re happy to share that both the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and the Cost of Hope expansion support Xbox Play Anywhere – buy the game once and play it on all supported platforms.
Let’s give all of this a moment to sink in — we know you’ll have plenty of questions. And we’ll be happy to share more details quite soon.
Are you ready to discover the price of freedom?
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Ultimate Edition
GSC Game World
$109.99
$76.99
Ultimate Edition provides all the Deluxe bonuses, including weapon & armor sets and Bonus Side Quest.
Ultimate bonuses:
Weapons:
– Rhino Revolver “Model Competitor” (transferable to multiplayer)
– Viper “Monolith” SMG (transferable to multiplayer)
– Fora-221 Assault Rifle, “Lullaby” (transferable to multiplayer)
– D12 Smoothbore Shotgun, “Margach D12MT” (transferable to multiplayer)
Suits:
– Ward Exoskeleton “PSZ-21W Shturm” (transferable to multiplayer)
Season Pass, granting 2 additional expansions and any future DLCs.
Official Artbook and Original Soundtrack Set application.
The post S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope – First Details About the Major Heart of Chornobyl Expansion appeared first on Xbox Wire.
