STALKER 2 Will Use Unreal Engine
In the official Twitter account for the STALKER game series, the developer GSC Game World announced that he was using U for the upcoming sequel STALKER 2. Previous games that are now several years old have used the proprietary X-Ray Engine, which allowed these games to stand out visually at the time, with amazing lighting, shadows, and weather, but it seems like Unreal will make things easier for developers.
GSC Game World stated that "UE was the most appropriate choice for us." They added, "This gives you the opportunity to make the game you've been waiting for, with an atmosphere of suspense and mystery, the flesh and blood of the STALKER universe." The team also mentioned that mods took note of the decision, saying "Unreal Engine aligns well with our goal of making modding easier and more accessible."
For those who don't know, Unreal Engine is owned and developed by Epic Games. Questions about Epic Games Store exclusivity naturally start to surface in light of the engine's announcement, but GSC Game World has been pretty candid about the speculation. He stated, “Yes, we know what you are thinking, but this announcement has nothing to do with platforms or digital stores. We will talk about it later".
STALKER 2 is powered by Unreal Engine: pic.twitter.com/RdDWr4yYj3
- STALKER OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) January 2, 2020
Very little is known about the game at this point, although it will likely draw on the open-source first-person shooter/RPG of the original game. Back in March last year STALKER 2 official website has been updated key graphics and foreboding atmospheric music. A full sequel to STALKER was planned in 2010 and was eventually canceled in 2012; upcoming STALKER 2 is a separate project. STALKER 2 is believed to launch sometime in 2021.