Today, Ukrainian developer GSC Game World has revealed more details about the next free STALKER 2 update, Sealed Truth, which will launch alongside the new Cost of Hope DLC. According to GSC, this content update expands the world of STALKER 2 Heart by offering a meaningful story encounter that ties into the deeper mysteries of the X-18 lab. It's also a sort of thank-you to the community for sticking with the Zone.
X-18 was previously visited during the base game's main quest "Answers Come at a Price", in which the main character Skif fights through bandits to reach it, but only the upper section was accessible: reception, a few corridors, and a locked upper floor opened with code 2603 given by a mysterious intercom voice. That voice is the key tease: it contacts Skif unprompted, seems to know who he is, helps him escape the pursuing Ward soldiers by activating an experimental psi weapon that turns the soldiers on each other, then signs off cryptically, with no name given and no further explanation.
This previously abandoned story thread returns with this update: rumors are now spreading among fellow Stalkers that Diod, a technician from Slag Heap, has somehow gained access to the lower levels of X-18. Interestingly, Diod isn’t interested in loot, only something he desperately needs. It just so happens that Skif might be the only person capable of getting him inside.
Players should expect a high-risk, high-reward mission filled with mystery, danger, and unforeseeable consequences. Aside from the payment, there may be more to gain: lost knowledge, useful gear, or something far more significant hidden deep within the lab.
As mentioned above, Sealed Truth will be released alongside Cost of Hope. The premium DLC is slated to launch this Summer and will add two brand new regions, the Iron Forest and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP), as well as "dozens of hours" of new content, to STALKER 2.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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