STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has sold more than 1 million copies since its launch, with additional players jumping in via Xbox Game Pass. The news was announced by developer GSC Game World, which claimed this was just the start of the game’s adventure.
“No wonder it feels a bit crowdy in the Zone. A million copies were sold, and much more stalkers joined the artifact hunt with Game Pass,” the studio said on X. “The Heart of Chornobyl emanates stronger with each of us.”
So far, STALKER 2 has hit a 24-hour peak of 121,335 players on Steam (via SteamDB) and that number will likely rise in future – particularly as GSC Game World begins to release the first patches and content updates for the game.
Notably, the launch of STALKER 2 has been accompanied by an array of issue reports, as players have encountered rafts of bugs in the game. Many players have reported issues running the game on their PC, with any attempt resulting in visual glitches and poor resolution. Some have claimed enemies tend to spawn directly in front of you, creating a real dissonance in exploration. Others have issues with stealth, gun combat, fast travel, and random game freezes.
Read: STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl now launches in late 2024
GSC Game World is working to address STALKER 2’s bugs
Despite all this, sentiment towards STALKER 2 is largely positive, with many players enjoying the experience regardless. There’s also a clear throughline in player feedback: they’ll patiently wait for new patches, as GSC Game World continues to work on the game and address its major bugs.
STALKER 2 has rightfully earned a fair bit of leeway: it was developed under incredibly difficult conditions, as much of the studio team was forced to evacuate from their home country of Ukraine mid-development, due to Russia’s invasion. Some of the team remained in Ukraine, while others evacuated to the Czech Republic, understandably causing complications with smooth development.
While STALKER 2‘s path from launch hasn’t been entirely smooth, GSC Game World has committed to addressing the major issues with the game, creating a better experience for those one million players+ now wandering its wasteland.
Those keen to jump in once its rougher edges are smoothed can stay tuned for updates via X and Steam.
