GSC Game World has released new gameplay footage from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope with two weeks remaining before the first major story expansion launches. The latest showcase provides a closer look at the Iron Forest and Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, two of the new areas being added to the Zone.

Rather than focusing heavily on the expansion’s story, the footage highlights exploration and survival. Skif makes his way through the Iron Forest, navigates anomalous areas and eventually approaches the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, opening up territory that was largely inaccessible in the base game.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope will substantially expand the explorable area of the Zone. Alongside the Iron Forest and Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the DLC will introduce new quests, characters, equipment, anomalies and other threats.

The expansion continues Skif’s journey but shifts the narrative toward a new conflict. A fragile peace between Duty and Freedom has collapsed, putting the two long-standing factions at the center of a story in which players will have to navigate competing interests and make decisions that affect the outcome.

Non-linearity is set to remain an important part of that structure. GSC Game World says Cost of Hope contains dozens of hours of additional content, with player decisions affecting not only the eventual outcome but also how parts of the story unfold.

The latest gameplay also offers a better sense of how the new environments differ from the existing regions of Heart of Chornobyl. The Iron Forest is built around difficult terrain and anomalous activity, while the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant opens industrial and administrative sections of one of the Zone’s most significant locations.

Cost of Hope represents the biggest story expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 since the base game launched in November 2024. GSC Game World has spent much of the period since release updating the game, with major patches addressing technical issues, NPC behavior, A-Life and other systems.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 also expanded to PlayStation 5 in November 2025. Cost of Hope will therefore become the first major story DLC to launch simultaneously across all of the game’s current platforms.

The project is developed by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World, which is owned by Ukrainian businessman and investor Maksym Krippa. His portfolio also includes esports organization NAVI, connecting two of Ukraine’s most internationally recognized brands across the gaming and esports industries. GSC’s continued investment in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, including major updates and story expansions, has made the studio a particularly visible part of Ukraine’s presence in the global games market.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope launches on August 20, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Players will need the base version of Heart of Chornobyl to access the expansion.

GSC Game World is also preparing Update 2.0 for the base game. The update will be available to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 owners at no additional cost and is set to introduce additional content and improvements.

Cost of Hope will not mark the end of GSC’s expansion plans. The Heart of Chornobyl Ultimate Edition includes a Season Pass covering two story expansions, meaning another major addition to the game remains planned beyond the August release.