It’s going to be a big week for STALKER 2 fans – DLC incoming?
Will STALKER 2’s first DLC be unveiled this week?
On Thursday, March 26th, Microsoft will be hosting its 2026 Xbox Partner Preview, where GSC Game World plans to deliver an “update on STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobly. This event is likely to host the unveiling of the first story DLC for STALKER 2, and could give gamers a first look at the game’s highly anticipated Unreal Engine 5.5.4 upgrade.
As part of the company’s end-of-year message, GSC Game World stated that STALKER 2’s first DLC was “coming along nicely”. The company also reconfirmed its plan to deliver a “major upgrade to a newer version of Unreal Engine 5”. This upgrade would make the game “more stable and gorgeous” on all platforms.
Xbox Partner Preview – our broadcast that focuses on upcoming games from our brilliant third-party partners – will return this Thursday, March 26. The latest instalment will include news on upcoming games from partners including Sega, GSC Game World and Owlcat Games, plus brand-new reveals, world premieres and Xbox Game Pass announcements.
During Xbox Partner Preview, you’ll get an in-depth look at Ryu Ga Gotoku’s new project, Stranger Than Heaven, an update on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, plus new looks at The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, an action-RPG set in the world of James S.A. Corey’s legendary series. That’s not all we’ll have for you, with first looks and announcements from more great games coming to Xbox consoles, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass.
– Xbox
Last year, GSC Game World confirmed that STALKER 2 was moving from Unreal Engine 5.1 to Unreal Engine 5.5.4. This change would allow STALKER 2 to benefit from Unreal Engine 5’s newest features, optimisations, and enhancements. This change should allow STALKER 2 to run much faster on PC and consoles. This should improve the game’s visuals and make it run more smoothly across all platforms. At a minimum, this added performance should stabilise framerates and allow the game to run at higher resolutions on consoles. It could also enable improved visuals on all platforms.
Moving to Unreal Engine 5.5.4 should deliver major performance benefits. Last year, Open Games and Dev showcased how moving from Unreal Engine 5.4 to Unreal Engine 5.5 could deliver almost 20% performance gains on PC. STALKER 2’s engine upgrade could deliver even greater performance gains.
GSC Game World’s presence at Microsoft’s Xbox Partner Preview event implies that they plan to unveil something big. We will learn exactly what that is on Thursday.
You can join the discussion on STALKER 2’s “update” at the Xbox Partner Preview on the OC3D Forums.
