With the big payoff back in 2024 finally happening with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl being released, GSC Game World is following it up with the game’s first expansion in “Cost of Hope”. Coming to PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and GOG.com, the Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 this summer, players will begin a new journey through the Zone to discover untold stories and visit uncharted locations.
This massive nonlinear expansion sees players once again take on the role of Skif, the protagonist of the core game, as he navigates events unfolding alongside Heart of Chornobyl. After installing the DLC, a signal on the PDA will trigger the new storyline as the game unfolds. As always, your choices shape what happens next — and the consequences could affect not just the Zone, but far beyond it.
“Cost of Hope” introduces two new regions to explore in the iconic Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which was once abandoned and locked away for decades, and the Iron Forest’s maze-like paths. Each region features its own hub, quests, and activities. New weapons and gear give Skif a fighting chance against mutants, anomalies, and other lurking dangers.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 expansions will be released in instalments, with “Cost of Hope” serving as the middle chapter of the “second trilogy.” Together with a future story DLC, which will be revealed later, it will form a new, expansive narrative arc within the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. saga. Players can expect more info on the expansion as the summer 2026 release window approaches.