STALKER 2 Is Finally Headed to PS5 in Late 2025 — Ending Its Xbox Exclusivity

STALKER 2 (Image Credit: GSC Game World)

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is officially making its way to PlayStation 5.

The long-anticipated port was confirmed by developer GSC Game World on July 9, ending its Xbox and PC exclusivity and finally giving PS5 players their shot at surviving the dangers of the irradiated Exclusion Zone.

The announcement came through a post on the official STALKER X (formerly Twitter) account, simply stating, “The Perimeter expands — S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is officially announced for PlayStation 5.” While short and sweet, the news landed exactly how fans hoped.

Alongside the post, GSC dropped a fun little trailer showing an in-game character sneakily playing STALKER 2 on a DualSense controller before being interrupted — only for his fellow soldier to take over, muttering, “I thought he’d never leave.”

According to a statement to IGN, the PS5 version will make full use of DualSense features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. GSC also confirmed that extra technical enhancements are in the works for the PS5 Pro version. While there’s no confirmed release date just yet, the studio is targeting a late 2025 launch window. The game is already up for wishlisting on the PlayStation Store.

Originally released in November 2024, STALKER 2 launched exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC. But getting it there was anything but easy. The game’s development was disrupted several times due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. GSC Game World relocated parts of its team, dealt with cyberattacks, and even saw some developers join the Ukrainian military.

Despite all that, they pushed through and released a game that sold over a million copies in just two days.

Though the launch had its share of bugs, GSC rolled out multiple updates post-release to fix the rough edges.

The game delivered a strong blend of survival mechanics, atmospheric tension, and rewarding exploration — staying true to what fans loved about the original STALKER games.

As for how it’s coming to PS5 now? This was always part of the plan. The Xbox exclusivity was timed, not permanent. And now that the exclusivity window has closed, GSC is free to bring the game to Sony’s console. If you’ve been holding out this whole time, your patience is finally paying off.

We’ll keep you posted once a firm release date drops — but for now, PS5 players, it’s time to get ready. The Zone is almost open for you too.