Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone News

Good news! We just got approval from Steam to launch the special demo app for our Kickstarter backers. This means that tomorrow we can send over the keys to finally give you access to the demo and let you play the game's prologue.

Why did you have to wait a few days after the campaign finished? Well, the game is not publicly released on Steam (the Early Access starts next month), which implicates that we can't directly generate the access keys on Steam. We could only generate very small pack of keys to share with some media and influencers and we had to finish the campaign to get to know how many of you finally supported us. On top of it, we've been adding text translations to let you play with subtitles in your preferred language and adding some improvements based on initial media feedback. Then we kindly asked Steam support to generate special playtest keys for our 2377 backers. Just an hour ago we got confirmation that our request is approved and we can start sending over the keys.

We need to spend some time today preparing everything, but we should be ready by tomorrow. Then, we'll email you Steam access keys and post an update here to confirm that. Stay tuned and tomorrow will be our great day!

In the meantime, if you can't wait to check what to expect in the game (spoiler-free material), you can see the short video here:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
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And now for something completely different. A few days ago we launched a contest for your creative ideas on what Black Stalker would say seeing this picture:



You sent us numerous answers, and it was tough to select the best - all of them were either beautifully crazy, deeply intriguing, or simply fun. We love your immersion in our project and promise to do more contests very soon, giving you the next opportunities to win our precious merch.

We discussed them all, and picked the most touching for us, and here are the results:





Congratulations, winners! We will contact you within the next few days to get your addresses and prepare the packages to send to you.

[hr][/hr][h2]We're working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone/

Chernobylite 2: The Exclusion Zone is the upcoming sequel to 2021’s cult classic, Chernobylite—an atmospheric FPS survival horror with RPG elements set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. And if you’re thinking, “Hey, that sounds like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.“, you wouldn’t be wrong. Aside from telling a more personal story and adding some base-building mechanics, it largely was.

Chernobylite was, in part, meant to fill the void left by the long-promised, but (at the time) still undelivered–S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. But now that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has arrived and Chernobylite has a fanbase of its own, the Exclusion Zone has gotten a little crowded. So what’s a sequel to do? According to Chernobylite 2: The Exclusion Zone, the answer is to dive headfirst into a mix of science fiction and sword and sorcery. And I’ve got to say, I’m here for it.

What set the original Chernobylite apart from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was its focus on stealth and a blend of base building, resource management, and squad... Read more

We've been working on Chernobylite 2 for over three years, and today, it is one of the most significant milestones achieved. We've proven with you, our players and backers, that this is not only our dream project but also an essential creation for you.



[h2]And as they say in action movies, this is not the end. We have just started. [/h2]
By reaching more than 200% of our campaign goal, we confirmed, justified, and solidified the sense of three years of hard work. Many of you already know that the Chornobyl Zone has been our obsession for much longer—since 2014, we've been there dozens of times, and this is our third project dedicated to this place. But this is the first time we can craft the virtual Zone to the proper size, making it an open world that you can explore seamlessly and for as long as you want.

Exceeding our campaign target with six stretch goals, we've secured many possibilities for expanding the project beyond our original plans. In addition to the key feature of switchable first-person and third-person perspectives, we know that we can add all guns from the first Chernobylite, including the lovely Blaster, make them all customizable, add extra locations for single-player and coop missions, and provide you with a customizable interface for both game perspectives.

With limited scope, we will keep our campaign live thanks to options of Late Pledges - you can still back us up and get some of the selected rewards for the next few months, but the amount of physical rewards will be strictly limited within this timeframe. Anyway, if you couldn't afford to get some of the most remarkable physical items during our campaign period, there is still some option to grab them later.

And now it's time to shift gears and press the pedal to the metal. Early Access to the game is just around the corner. On March 6th, players worldwide can play it on Steam. We'll provide about one-third of the final game's content, but in terms of content and time spent playing, it's much more than the whole first Chernobylite game. Prepare yourself for the ultimate Chornobyl ride!


Also, remember to follow us on our social media (likes, comments and shares for greater reach are welcome!), and we encourage you to join us on Discord.

Add the game to your Steam wishlist to follow the game’s development.

[hr][/hr][h2]We're working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone/

Hi Chornobyl explorers,

We're just before the final run of our Kickstarter campaign - just one day and one night until we reach the finish line. You keep sending us heartwarming words of support, encouraging us to work harder on the game itself and you still back us up by pledging the project. It's fantastic, and we'd like to keep it rolling - the end of the Kickstarter campaign will be just a milestone on our roadmap. Soon, we'll send you the access codes to the Demo and Beta playtests, and then Early Access comes in less than one month. We can't wait to share the game with you!

Thanks to your activity, we're attracting more backers, and we've reached another stretch goal. Having secured 180,000 EUR (it's 190% of our funding target!), we can ensure that the game includes customizable interface options for both combat modes. This means you'll be able to independently adjust the game HUD/interface displays for first-person and third-person perspectives. Can we make another one? There's still some time left...



[h2]But the coolest part starts here: [/h2]

Once again, we're announcing the contest for your creativity in the game story. Think about what Black Stalker would say in this situation:



Use your imagination and leave the sentence (English, please!) in the comments to this post.

We'll choose the four best sentences and award them absolutely amazing prizes. The first prize will be a 3-in-1 Black Stalker mask from our original Chernobylite stock. Yes, you'll get the rare item combining three different variants of the Black Stalker mask - and we'll send it to you right after the contest ends.



The second prize will be one of three Black Stalker plushies, the cutest of all creepy characters of Chornobyl Zone.



[h2]The contest starts February 12 at 6 PM CET time and ends 24 hours later, February 13 at 6 PM - at the end of our campaign. [/h2]

What is to wait for? We'll announce our contest on other social media, like Facebook or X, so you can leave your sentences/comments there if you prefer.



[hr][/hr][h2]We're working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone/

We're almost finished with our campaign, but "almost" makes a difference. Having achieved 186% of our funding goal, we already feel sure that our new project is intriguing and tempting for many of you. Within the next hours, we can still get much higher, so please consider if any of the add-ons can be used to increase your rewards package. Remember that you can add a Planewalker Mask or Original Cold War Gas Mask, not to mention extra game keys or artbooks.

But let's dig a little bit into the stories of our heroes' outfits. Planewalker mask is based on the original concept of the "unnamed stalker" we made in 2017, which later became Igor - the main character of the first Chernobylite. In the Chernobylite 2 plot, there are more green-glowing eyes interdimensional travelers named Planeswalkers, many of whom use this mask on the field.



On the other hand, the Black Stalker concept is based on the authentic protective masks and gear used by the undersigned during our Chornobyl trips. You need to note that our character concepts were not just sketches on paper - we use 3D-scanning technology named photogrammetry to re-create authentic costumes that were hand-crafted to our needs digitally. Why? Because in the game, we use 3D models, photos, and movies of real objects, persons, and landscapes. So, for higher authenticity, instead of sculpting digital characters by hand, most of them have been created in reality and then 3D-scanned.



Yes, it's me and I hate wearing gasmasks.

We wanted to create a much darker character than just another urban explorer, so we started experimenting with different options of how the whole Black Stalker could look.



But it appeared that the key to the dark look of the Black Stalker shouldn't be just the "gasmask" part, but also the rest of his face hiding under the hood. We wanted to create something that may look like the blend of the mask and the real face distorted and decayed by the chernobylite radiation.

And finally, we found a solution - under the real gasmask, there is a second skull-like demonic cover, which in combination gives you the creepiest stalker of them all.

You can watch how the first masks are being made here:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

In the current campaign, the masks don't use the additional oxygen pipes because, back in time, we've been utilizing them from original Soviet-era military gasmasks, and today, they appear to be too decayed for use in our new production.

Did you know that in Chernobylite 2, you can wear the complete Black Stalker costume, which is a 3D scan of the clothes, masks, and gadgets presented in the photos above?



If you believe it's worth it, spread the word among your friends and ask them if they'd like to play the game as crazy as going to Chornobyl and having the adventure of your life there.



[hr][/hr][h2]We're working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone/