Almost two years after its release, Ukrainian developer GSC Game World has released an expansion to its hit PS5 shooter. S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Cost of Hope is the first major expansion to S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The expansion adds two new locations, new weapons, and launches alongside the free update 2.0, “Back to the Zone.”

The new content is described by the developer as a “nonlinear expansion.” Players will find themselves back in the shoes of Skif, now caught in a war between the factions Duty and Freedom. The expansion’s events take place alongside those of the base game. True to the name of the original game, the expansion will let players explore the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

Watch the launch trailer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Cost of Hope below.

New locations, weapons & faction conflicts await players in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2

As seen in its trailer, Cost of Hope adds two new locations: the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Iron Forest. The footage also teases some of the new mutants that players will face off against, along with plenty of surreal imagery in the Zone.

“Throughout the Cost of Hope development, we allowed ourselves to experiment more,” said Ievgen Grygorovych, Game Director and CEO of GSC Game World. “To take risks. To surprise. Sometimes that meant trying things we’d never attempted before. Sometimes it meant making bold creative decisions simply because we believed they would make the experience more memorable. Above all, we wanted to create something that would genuinely excite long-time fans of the series. We can’t wait to hear what you think.”

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 was originally released in 2024, and it launched on PS5 a year later. The game arrived over a decade after the last mainline installment. Fortunately, it was a success, selling millions of copies at launch, although reviews criticised its technical state.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope is available on PS5 as part of the Ultimate Edition of the base game or a standalone purchase for $29.99.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl is available on PC, PS5, and XBOX Series X|S.

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