GSC Game World has just dropped the first big expansion for its post-apocalyptic shooter, and it's live today. According to the studio, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope is out on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. If you've been itching for a reason to head back into the Zone, this is it.
What is Cost of Hope?
Cost of Hope is the first big expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. GSC Game World describes it as a "massive nonlinear expansion" offering dozens of hours of gameplay, sending players on a new journey through the Zone. After installing the DLC, during your playthrough of the main campaign you'll receive a signal on your PDA that will start the expansion's storyline.
The DLC content is split between two parts of the game. The first becomes available shortly after leaving the Lesser Zone closer to the beginning of the game, while the second unlocks after completing the A Minor Incident main story mission. For players' convenience, we've added shortcuts to the main menu that let you skip directly to the DLC content. If you choose to use this feature, there are several options available:
Select New Game → DLC Content, then choose Skip Ahead to The Cost of Hope.
Early Start skips the game to the point where the first part of the DLC becomes available. Advanced Start skips ahead to a later stage of the main story, where both parts of the DLC are available.
Advanced Start places you at a point in the game where several faction-related choices have already been made in the main story. Choose Advanced Start – Spark or Advanced Start – Ward, depending on your preference. This choice does not affect the DLC content. It only applies to the main game and its storyline.
For players focused on the DLC, Advanced Start is the recommended option. All Update 2.0 features are available regardless of your starting point, while the open-world structure allows you to leave the DLC path at any time and freely explore the Zone.
Cost of Hope will introduce two new regions: Iron Forest and the long-awaited Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. A region isn't just a single location. It's a large territory, each with its own hub, along with dozens of smaller locations to discover, all filled with quests and activities, dangers and mysteries.
Game Update 2.0
In addition to the DLC launch, there is a general game update with a ton of improvements and fixes.
Highlights of the update include:
Engine Upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.5.4
Visual Evolution
Improved lighting, shadows, and reflections
Reworked the landscape and foliage to look more natural
A-life improvements
There are so many updates, the devs have put together a long set of patch notes you'll want to check out. Or check out this video:
Who Gets Cost of Hope?
All owners of the Ultimate Edition or Season Pass of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be granted access to the Cost of Hope automatically. Owners of the Standard and Deluxe Editions of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl can either update their version of the game to Ultimate Edition (and get all its additional bonuses), or purchase the DLC as a separate item.
So, are you heading back into the zone?
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