S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Is Getting a Free Multiplayer Mode That Won’t Be Like Counter-Strike

After shipping the Cost of Hope expansion and a sweeping 2.0 engine update just last week, GSC Game World is already looking ahead. At Gamescom 2026, the studio confirmed that a free multiplayer mode for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is in active development — and it won't follow the familiar round-based formula most shooters rely on. "We believe that we are not doing something that everyone would do," GSC CEO Ievgen Grygorovych told reporters at the event. "We are not trying to copy oth