‘S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2′ Still Alive; Maintains an Uncertain Future

When S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl was released for the PC back in 2007, the gritty first-person shooter won over a cult following for its godforsaken, post apocalyptic art style and terrorizing atmosphere. This fan base stuck around through spin-offs like  S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, so it was no surprise that when a report came through last December apparently detailing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2′s cancellation, the anguish was palpable.

That all changes now though thanks an announcement direct from Ukrainian developer GSC Game World. A posting appeared on the company’s official Facebook page stating the following:

“The Stalker team is extremely happy! Why? Because we are continuing work on Stalker 2 after the holidays.”

So it appears that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is living up to it’s name, and, unbeknownst to gamers, has been with us all along. But while the game still has a pulse, a solid jolt from a defibrillator wouldn’t hurt either. Speaking to Edge, GSC spokesman Oleg Yavorsky said that while a development team is indeed on hand to make the game, they still lack the adequate funding to move the process forward:

“We are still in the process of seeking funding to back up the project. We are hopeful things turn out well eventually. The team really wants to see STALKER continue.”

Needless to say, there couldn’t be much more encouraging news for the series at this point. Trouble first blipped up on the radar last October when the studio floated around the prospect of always on DRM. That was soon forgotten about, however, after the shocking report in December seemed to suggest that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was all but six feet under.

As awesome as a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 would be for hardcore PC shooter fans, and, perhaps more importantly, the fledgling central Ukrainian video game industry, money is the ultimate arbiter of what gets made and what doesn’t. The game’s December cancellation reports were no fluke; there’s clearly quite a bit of instability going on at GSC. If a financier can’t be found for the project in the near future, it’s unclear as to how long the development team will be willing to stay in place.

Ranters, what do you think S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2′s chances are of getting produced? Are you part of the original game’s ardent fan base?

Pending a green light, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is slated to release later this year for the PC.

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Sources: Official S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Facebook, Edge