GSC Game World’s free multiplayer mode for STALKER 2 is still in production, two years after its release, and the developers haven’t yet announced any specific dates. Company executives Evgeny Grigorovich and Maria Grigorovich shared fresh details about the online component’s development during a press conference at Gamescom.
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Why is STALKER 2’s online mode being delayed?
The promise to release a multiplayer patch “soon after release” still appears on the project’s official website, but the developers simply lacked the resources. The Ukrainian team was focusing all their efforts on patching bugs in the original game and polishing the single-player content.
The developers have released the major DLC “The Price of Hope” and are currently working on the second expansion, meaning the online component has received minimal attention. Evgeny and Maria Grigorovich confidently confirmed that the network code will not be abandoned by any of the studio’s internal departments. The process is ongoing, but some resources have been shifted to secret, unannounced projects that the team is keeping quiet about for now.
How will the developers solve the modding problem on PC?
The community has long puzzled over how exactly the developers plan to connect players online, as PC mods can easily break compatibility between cliches and files. The studio has already found a technical solution to prevent modders from interfering with the rest of the audience.
All that remains is to wait for the official announcement, although GSC Game World is still refusing to even give a tentative half-year date. However, the very fact that the project is showing signs of life will certainly excite fans of the series.
