Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl Dev Is Building A Metaverse For The Franchise

GSC Game World, developer of the post-apocalyptic shooter series Stalker, is partnering up with DMarket to create a metaverse for the franchise.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, which is scheduled to launch in April 2022, will be the first game from GSC Game World to feature unique in-game items that players will be able to purchase and sell on its new blockchain network. It says the rights to these items will belong to players who purchase them.

"Considering the global trends in gaming, we can do more than just offer an immersive game experience," states Evgeniy Grygorovych, CEO of GSC Game World, in a press release. "Our players can get a deeper presence in the game, and we will give them this opportunity by presenting the first AAA game with a unique meta experience."

Later this month, interested players will be able to register for a chance to be included in the first drop of these items. The first drop will take place via auction and offer up the first metahuman that will exist in the game's metaverse. The owner will have their likeness scanned and used in Stalker 2 for an NPC. The second drop will be in February, but the exact contents of what will be offered haven't been announced yet.

GSC Game World stresses that no items offered as part of these drops will offer players an advantage in-game and won't be required to play all of Stalker 2's content. DMarket will offer a marketplace for players to buy and trade items before the game launches, too.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl launches exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC on April 28, 2022. It will launch on Xbox Game Pass.