It’s been over a decade since we first started anticipating Stalker 2, and now it’s finally here. GSC Game World, the game’s developers, faced numerous challenges along the way, including the tumult of a global pandemic and the daunting task of relocating from Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. Despite these hurdles, they’ve managed to deliver Stalker 2, and that’s nothing short of incredible. Many players on Steam seem to agree, echoing this sense of awe.
Just a day after its release, Stalker 2 rocketed up Steam’s chart, becoming one of the platform’s most-played titles. It reached a peak of 113,587 concurrent players, according to SteamDB, marking one of the most significant launches of 2024. With the weekend approaching, it’s expected that these numbers could climb even higher.
Compared to its predecessors, which are quite dated now, Stalker 2’s success was somewhat expected. Our reviewer, Connor Makar, was impressed enough to give Stalker 2 four stars, describing it as “an excellent work of struggle and loneliness,” despite the bugs it harbors. Other reviewers have been a bit more critical, leading to an average score of 77 on OpenCritic.
Despite several technical and critical issues acknowledged in user reviews, Stalker 2 maintains a Very Positive rating on Steam with over 81% of reviews being favorable. Players appear to be enjoying the experience, while looking forward to mods that are sure to address some initial shortcomings and add new features.
Whether you’re diving into the Zone right now or holding off for patches and mod releases, our Stalker 2 guides are here to help. You’ll definitely want to figure out how to boost your carry capacity early on, understand what artifacts are and where to find them, and learn the ropes of navigating anomalies. You’ll also need to know how to keep your weapons in top shape, as they tend to jam, and explore options for upgrades.
