The announcement comes as part of today's Microsoft and Bethesda showcase at E3 2021, which opened with a Starfield release date just a few minutes prior. As many people expected after Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda earlier this year, Starfield will also be a console-exclusive for Xbox Series X, although Stalker 2 will reportedly only be exclusive for three months.
You can watch the brand new Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl trailer for yourself in the video embedded below.
The slice of gameplay shown in the trailer is relatively slim, although it does offer us a decent look at Stalker 2's visual identity and gunplay. More so than anything else, though, it serves as an indication of the kind of thematic context the sequel to GSC's revered horror shooter is aiming for.
"You can never get used to the Zone," one of the stalkers sitting around a campfire says, acknowledging the game's influence from iconic writers and directors like the Strugatsky brothers and Tarkovsky. Elsewhere, monsters prowl through dilapidated buildings as electrical storms make the already precarious landscapes of the Zone even more intimidating and dangerous.
At the moment, we know very little else about Stalker 2. Last month we learned that 300 people are working on the game and that it will supposedly feature "hundreds of hours" of content. The new release date also debunks an older rumor that Stalker 2 could potentially launch as early as this winter. As it stands, the game is scheduled to launch on April 28, 2022, although it's worth taking this information with a pinch of salt given how regular delays have become over the last year due to the issues that come with developing remotely.
If you're planning on keeping up with all of the other announcements and news at E3, be sure to bookmark our comprehensive E3 2021 megaguide, which includes details of where to watch every show, what to expect, and loads more.