S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 expansion ‘Cost of Hope’ launches on PS5

GSC Game World released the Cost of Hope expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on the PlayStation Store for PS5 today. The expansion is available as a standalone purchase for $29.99 and is included in the game’s Ultimate Edition. A free update, 2.0 “Back to the Zone”, was released at the same time.

The developer describes Cost of Hope as a nonlinear expansion. Players return as Skif and become involved in a war between the Duty and Freedom factions. The expansion’s events run alongside the base game’s storyline.

Two new explorable areas are added: the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Iron Forest. The release also brings new weapons and a range of mutant enemies to encounter in the Zone.

The launch trailer highlights unusual visual moments and expanded encounters. The developer noted the expansion delivers changes that extend the core game’s content experience.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl first released in 2024 and reached PS5 a year later. The title sold millions of copies at launch and received criticism for technical problems. The base game is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S; Cost of Hope expands the content available on those platforms.

Ievgen Grygorovych, GSC’s CEO and game director, wrote that during development the team “allowed ourselves to experiment more. To take risks. To surprise.” He added the team tried ideas they had not attempted before and aimed to create content that would excite long-time fans.

PlayStation users can purchase Cost of Hope through the PlayStation Store starting today. The free 2.0 “Back to the Zone” update installs alongside the expansion and makes additional changes to the base game.