Phil Spencer Talks S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 At Gamescom

gameranx.com:

Phil Spencer had a special message when asked about having S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on hand at Gamescom.

Now, once again, the history of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s development is quite convoluted, and much of it isn’t relevant anymore. The sudden arrival of the Russian invasion of Ukraine created serious problems for Ukrainian game company GSC Games Studio.

The most recent delay could be attributed to these current events, and when you consider that its history goes all the way back to 2010, it was a really tough break for that to come up in the final hour and threaten to end everything.

And so it was very important for Microsoft to step up as a partner for the game. While Microsoft acquired exclusivity for the game, the terms are not quite clear. Microsoft is not listed as publisher, so its likely that that isn’t their position. GSC Games World has said in the past that they talked to Microsoft about bringing the game to PlayStation 5, but it isn’t planned at this time.

At the very least, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be Day One on Game Pass. That was sufficient justification, it seems, for Microsoft to give the game major representation in their recent Xbox marketing. And that includes the surprise of bringing a demo to Gamescom, a clear indication they are well on their way to finishing it. And in fact, Phil has played it himself.

Phil Spencer shared his thoughts on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl in the latest Xbox Wire:

We’re at a big gaming show, I like to talk about video games, and then you go talk to that team in terms of what they’ve been through, and it makes the discussion about video games seem almost irrelevant.

In terms of the life experience, what they’ve had to