Selling over 1 million copies within less than 48 hours from its launch, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl has proven to be a success. With 17 years since the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl's release back in 2007, and 15 years since the release of Call of Pripyat in 2009, players have been eager for a new entry into the franchise for quite some time now.

Carrying such high expectations, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl very easily could've struggled, yet the game has been met with a very popular reception. From new players to old fans alike, the title proudly boasts over 1 million sales within two days of its launch. Sharing the news to their social following on X, the GSC Game World Team thanked their ers with an appreciative message of gratitude, both to those who have purchased the game and to the many who have been playing through Xbox Game .

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 Has Gained Even More Traction On Xbox Game

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 Reaches An Impressively Large Audience

Despite never releasing anything of this scale before, the GSC Game World Team has been met with astounding success through S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl. As a certified smash hit, their over 1 million sales within just 48 hours of release prove that this game has been far more successful than anyone could've ever imagined. With over 117k peak concurrent players on Steam alone, the reception has been incredibly positive as players continue to return to play among the masses.

As well as its astounding sales numbers, the newly released game was also available to players as a day-one Xbox Game release. With this in mind, it can be assumed that the current player count is truly much higher than just the 117k peak concurrent players through Steam alone. Attracting such a large audience across the board, it's safe to say that S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl seems to have delivered a unique and engaging playthrough to the fans.

Our Take: Even After A Major Feature Broke, GSC Bounces Back

Despite Launch Troubles, GSC Prove To Be Hands-On With Quick Fixes

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl hasn't been all success though, originally launching with several bugs and performance issues. One large break in particular saw the game's A-Life 2.0 feature, something that manages NPC spawns and interactions, often working incorrectly or struggling. The developers quickly announced they were working on fixes for these spanning issues, proving that even with a rocky launch there's a lot that can be appreciated from their quick hands-on attitude to tackling issues.

Despite its lengthy development cycle and bugs at launch, though, there's something to be taken from how successful S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl remains despite that. With so much love poured into this highly anticipated addition to the franchise, it's clear that the GSC Game World Team cares greatly about the game they're working on and will continue to fix. Delivering an experience that expands on the franchise's previous entries while creating something new players can dive into without any knowledge either, this new gem is one that'll likely only continue to grow.

Source: Stalker