S.T.A.L.K.E.R. no S.L.A.C.K.E.R.

Ukrainian developer GSC Game World today announced that its upcoming PC game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl has been delayed until May 2005. In today's statement, the developer said that it had submitted a request to publisher THQ, asking for more time to work on the first-person shooter, which is set in Chernobyl after a second (fictional) nuclear plant meltdown.

"We're extremely grateful to [THQ] for allowing us the time we feel will allow S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl to achieve its true potential," said a spokesman for GSC.

Indicating the development team takes its work on the upcoming title seriously, the statement then continued: "[The developers] will work now on ensuring it is stable, balanced, and fun to play on every level…All we can do is reassure the public that we will use the time wisely and the end result will be worth waiting for."

In July of this year, THQ announced that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. would be pushed back from its original holiday 2004 release window. THQ CEO Brian Farrell said that the company's desire to keep the game's release away from surefire FPS blockbusters like Halo 2 and Doom 3 led to the delay in the release date.

For more information on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl's story and multiplayer mode, check out GameSpot's hands-on.