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“S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” will mark the franchise’s return in the market, and it is launching on a new platform, too. However, a Microsoft document seemingly suggests that the game’s Xbox exclusivity is only locked in for three months.
Microsoft document shows ‘S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’ is Xbox-exclusive for 3 months
Microsoft has made headlines over the past few days after the company appeared to have considered reducing its revenue cut from the Xbox store by more than half of what it is charging game developers today. However, it also revealed some interesting details about upcoming games, including “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.”
The game is one of the anticipated third-party games to be released on Xbox Series X/S, and developer GSC Game World has only announced a console launch for Microsoft’s new-gen gaming system. On top of that, it has also been confirmed that “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” will be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one. These announcements have given fans the impression that GSC Game World and Microsoft’s working relationship is tight, which could then mean a long-running console exclusivity.
However, the said document, obtained by The Verge, tags “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” as Xbox-exclusive for only three months. This seems to suggest that the game would be launched on other console platforms three months after its launch date. This is particularly interesting because GSC Game World had just revealed it has no current plans to work on a PS5 version.
“We negotiated the possibilities with Microsoft and saw several good opportunities for the brand — including Game Pass,” the “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” developer told GamingBolt in a report published last week. “We’re concentrating on the Xbox Series X/S version.”
‘S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’ release date slated in Q4 2021
One way to look at the indicated three-month Xbox exclusivity is the fact that the Microsoft document was prepared last January, so some details may have been changed since then. As mentioned, the paper showed Microsoft had planned to reduce the Xbox store’s revenue cut from 30 percent to 12 percent on “one-time game purchases, subscriptions, [and] in-app digital content.”
However, a statement provided by Microsoft on Sunday clarified there are no planned changes in the revenue share console publishers selling games on its storefronts. It is then possible for the indicated “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” Xbox exclusivity period to have been updated since January.
GSC Game World has yet to announce a specific release date. But it is worth noting that the same document lists the “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” “estimated release” for Q4 2021.
