STALKER 2's first major story DLC, Cost of Hope, arrives summer 2026 on all platforms
GSC Game World has revealed Cost of Hope, the first major story expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, targeting a summer 2026 release. The DLC lands simultaneously on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and — for the first time — PS5. That day-one platform parity breaks the timed exclusivity pattern GSC used for the base game's launch.
Two regions, one conflict
Cost of Hope sends protagonist Skif into two large territories that were locked off in the main campaign: the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Iron Forest. Both locations appeared in earlier STALKER games, and Games Press describes them as full-sized zones filled with hubs, quests, and dozens of smaller sub-locations — meaning this is a substantial content drop, not a short side story.
The narrative hook centers on the collapse of the D4 Treaty, a pact that once kept the Duty and Freedom factions aligned. Their falling-out predates the events of Heart of Chornobyl, and Skif lands in the middle of the resulting war. The DLC triggers mid-playthrough via a PDA signal, slotting into the main campaign rather than sitting separate from it. Returning characters include Zulu, a familiar face from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.
Where it fits in the bigger plan
Cost of Hope is the second chapter of what GSC calls its "second trilogy." The studio positions the Heart of Chornobyl base game as chapter one, this expansion as chapter two, and a third, concluding DLC — timing uncertain, potentially around 2028 — as the finale. It's an unusually long-form commitment for a single-player game.
Price and access
No standalone price has been confirmed. Game Rant notes the $109.99 Ultimate Edition includes a Season Pass, suggesting the DLC could land around $20 on its own, but GSC has said nothing official. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can check Xbox Wire for Play Anywhere details — a single purchase covers both Xbox console and PC. UK pricing has not been announced; the base game currently sits at £49.99 on Steam, so a £15–20 range for the DLC is a reasonable working assumption until GSC confirms figures.
The expansion is built by the same Kyiv-based team that shipped the base game while the war in Ukraine continues — context worth noting given how much the studio has leaned on the Zone's geography for its storytelling.