Is STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl co-op multiplayer?

No one wants to weather the radioactive storm alone.

Looking at a crashed helicopter in the dawn light in Stalker 2's trailer
Screenshot via GSC Game World

With the entire Chornobyl Exclusion Zone to explore in STALKER 2: Heart of Chronobyl, surely you won’t have to go through this radioactive endeavor alone. STALKER previously offered multiplayer mode, and as the graphics and performance increase with each console generation, will this survival game allow multiple Stalkers to lend a helping hand?

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Here is everything we know about multiplayer mode in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

Does STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl have multiplayer?

Reloading a sniper rifle on a rooftop overlooking derelict buildings in STALKER 2 trailer
Will you get the chance to truly put your weapons to the test? Screenshot via GSC Game World

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is, first and foremost, a single-player game. It will release as a single-player game, with multiplayer mode set to come post-release. A release window isn’t given for this update, however it’s officially announced under STALKER 2‘s Gameplay section and Steam that a free multiplayer update will arrive “soon after the release.”

As you walk through STALKER 2‘s nonlinear story alone and venture into the heart of Chornobyl, you will face many obstacles outside of classic FPS combat. Opposing Stalkers aren’t the only danger lurking within the Exclusion Zone: It is brought to life by strange, otherworldly anomalies, mutated animals, and chatty NPCs.

An arsenal of weapons is guaranteed in STALKER 2, and it offers seemingly endless combinations. This level of customization invites a multiplayer mode, but the question is whether it’ll follow in the footsteps STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl‘s PvP mode. STALKER 2 includes a giant, nonlinear open world to explore. It’s highly likely that the multiplayer mode consists of small arenas for team deathmatch rather than letting you play with fellow Stalkers while you complete story missions.

Therefore, you can expect a PvP mode for STALKER 2: Shadow of Chernobyl as additional content for the game after its initial release.

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Hadley Vincent
Writer for Dot since Oct. 2023. Just a Psychology graduate trying to find the meaning of life through gaming. An enthusiast of indie horror and anime, where you'll often find them obsessing over a great narrative and even better twists that'd make M. Night jealous. Their shocking twist? They think The Last of Us II is a masterpiece.