Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl Playable Build Leaked Online by Hackers

A playable version of the upcoming post-apocalyptic shooter, Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl has leaked online via hackers. The Stalker franchise is one that never got the same amount of recognition as something like Fallout as it's largely a cult-classic series that has existed on PC for years. The series is well-renowned and many have longed for the day a new one would arrive after the last entry dropped in 2009. With that said, Stalker 2 has been in the works for an incredibly long time and it has almost seen the light of day a few times already. However, the COVID pandemic caused some setbacks and then the Russia/Ukraine war caused even further setbacks as the series is developed by Ukrainian developer GSC Game World.

With all of that said, the game is expected to release on Xbox Series X and PC later this year, but it is encountering some other problems. As reported by Gagadget (via ResetEra), Russian hackers have targeted the Ukrainian developer on multiple occasions with threats and leaking information/screenshots about the game. However, it has now escalated to a playable build of the game being leaked online. Obviously, we're not going to link to this, but there is proof that the game does run and anyone can play it. It's unclear if this is the entire game start to finish or just a slice of the game. Either way, the game is still months away from releasing, so it's likely still very unfinished and we don't advise playing it.

As of right now, the team behind the game has yet to make any kind of statement about the matter. It's unclear if this will impact the development in any way resulting in a delay or if things will carry on as normal. The Xbox showcase is next weekend, so it's likely we'll get a release date for the game there, provided this leak doesn't impact things too much.

Are you still excited for Stalker 2? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.