S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s first major story expansion, Cost of Hope, is coming on August 20. The expansion was first announced during the Xbox Partner Preview in March, and it will launch alongside Update 2.0, a massive overhaul to the entire post-apocalyptic adventure.
In Cost of Hope, which is a paid expansion, players once again assume the role of protagonist Skif in a new narrative that unfolds in parallel to the events of the base campaign. A mysterious PDA signal draws Skif into a new storyline centered on rising tensions between the Duty and Freedom factions. Cost of Hope introduces two new regions, Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Iron Forest, along with new weapons, gear, and, naturally, mutated enemies. Cost of Hope will be the first of several planned expansions for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
Alongside Cost of Hope will be the arrival of Update 2.0, which upgrades S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to a new version of Unreal Engine 5 to improve stability and performance. Additionally, this free update introduces new content and gameplay improvements for all owners of the game.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope will be available for all versions of the base game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The price of the expansion is currently unlisted, but it will be included in the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions of the game.