I adored my time in STALKER 2, bugs and all. Its oppressive, moody atmosphere filled me with dread and determination I hadn’t experienced in gaming for many years. It seems plenty of folks were also curious to see what the hype about this post-apocalyptic adventure was for. Within its first week of release, it smashed many Twitch records. It beat out some of the biggest names in the process.
‘STALKER 2’ Was Instantly a Smash Success on Streaming Platforms
According to StreamsCharts.com, STALKER 2 immediately met incredible success. On its release day, it was already the second most viewed game on the platform. With 416,000 viewers jumping in, it was only outdone by games like Path of Exile and Counter-Strike. This is a pretty incredible milestone for a game being made off of the bones of a cult classic.
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In just a week, STALKER 2 became the fourth most-watched game on Twitch. With 12.6 million hours watched, it only fell behind massive titles like Palworld, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Black Myth: Wukong. It seems that a combination of morbid curiosity, alongside genuine intrigue pushed it toward this success. It’s impressive either way.
Since STALKER 2 is also available as a Day One game on Xbox Game Pass, it also gave plenty of people on the fence a reason to jump in. STALKER 2 is not a game for everyone; it’s a technical nightmare and has a variety of other bugs that may make less patient gamers squirm in their seats. But, if you are willing to look past them, it offers an experience unlike anything else available. Not even the first STALKER game could match the vibes of this Unreal Engine 5-powered sequel.
Even amid a war, the team at GSC Game World is working hard to ensure that STALKER 2 is the best it can be. There’s a massive patch going live with over 650 fixes to the sprawling open-world shooter soon, too. The dedication the team is showing to make STALKER 2 worthy of its praise is something unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Keeping the spirits high during one of the most tense moments in history. That’s worth a buy in itself.