After a 15-year break, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. finally let fans of the post-apocalyptic survival series return to the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone earlier this week. The game has been having a terrific launch week on Steam alone, with concurrent players reaching over 100,000 players on day one. It seems this popularity has been seen across Xbox consoles, too.
Just two days after launch, developer GSC Game World announced today, November 22, that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has already sold a whopping million copies. In addition to that, more than a million joined in to experience the game via Game Pass.
"No wonder it feels a bit crowdy in the Zone," the developer said on a social media post earlier today. "A million copies were sold, and much more stalkers joined the artifact hunt with Game Pass,"
It"s unclear how the sales numbers split are across PC stores and Xbox Series X|S consoles and just how many players joined via Xbox Game Pass for that "much more" statement. "This is just the start of our unforgettable adventure. The Heart of Chornobyl emanates stronger with each of us," the studio adds.
The title was released following a range of delays, caused primarily by the Russian invasion of the studio"s home country, Ukraine. While sales numbers and initial player reception have been very positive, as seen on Steam reviews, the game"s performance issues and many glitches are the main points of concern among critics and owners.
In an earlier message, the GSC Game World said to expect "rough edges" in the game, considering this is the largest project it has ever launched. It said hotfixes for glitches and more major updates are already in the works, with a roadmap incoming in December.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now available on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store, and GOG) and Xbox Series X|S platforms. Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can also jump in now for no extra cost.