Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone to Launch on Steam Early Access on March 6

Polish developer The Farm 51 has confirmed that Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone—their upcoming open-world sci-fi RPG—will enter Steam Early Access on March 6. The studio also released a CGI story trailer, offering a first look into the sequel’s narrative direction.

In Chernobylite 2, players step into the boots of Cole Grey, a former soldier navigating a reality where industry revolves around a potent resource called Chernobylite. This mineral has propelled humanity forward technologically but left swathes of people unemployed. Desperate to support his family, Cole enlists in the Planewalker initiative—a morally ambiguous program sending participants to parallel universes to gather more Chernobylite. In so doing, he must undergo gene alterations that make him part-human, part-Chernobylite—a choice that tests both his ethics and his survival instincts, especially once he becomes trapped in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone under the watch of the imposing Black Stalker.

Kickstarter Success and Stretch Goals

The Farm 51 launched a Kickstarter campaign to secure additional funding. Having already surpassed its initial goal, the campaign has begun unlocking stretch goals:

1. Optional First-Person Combat Mode

2. Returning Guns from the original Chernobylite

3. Weapon Customization

4. New Locations for both single-player and co-op missions, reflecting one of the sequel’s key new features.

As the campaign enters its final week, further stretch goals include a customizable interface for both first-person and third-person perspectives and a customizable dialogue camera for more immersive storytelling.

Cole Grey’s Genetic Modifications

A major new element in Chernobylite 2 involves the physical absorption of Chernobylite essence to enhance physical and mental abilities. This process, however, comes at a grave cost to Cole’s humanity. The moral dilemmas intensify as he seeks escape from the Zone—infamous for its haunting, irradiated locales and the towering menace posed by the Black Stalker.

Minimum and Recommended System Requirements

The Steam page details the hardware specs needed to run Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone:

• Minimum:

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10 / 11

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X

  • Memory: 16 GB RAM

  • Graphics: Intel Arc A580 / GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB / Radeon RX 580

  • DirectX: Version 12

  • Storage: 150 GB available space

  • Additional Notes: Graphics Preset: LOW / Resolution: 1080p / Expected FPS: 30

• Recommended:

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10 / 11

  • Processor: Intel Core i5-12600K / AMD Ryzen 5 5600

  • Memory: 16 GB RAM

  • Graphics: Intel Arc A770 / GeForce RTX 3060 8 GB / Radeon RX 6700 XT

  • DirectX: Version 12

  • Storage: 150 GB available space

  • Additional Notes: Graphics Preset: HIGH / Resolution: 1080p / Expected FPS: 45

The Farm 51 continues to blend survival horror elements with choice-driven storytelling and cooperative features, aiming to expand on the exploration and atmospheric tension of the original Chernobylite. Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone stands poised to build upon its predecessor’s blend of realistic 3D scanning of the Chornobyl area, while adding fresh narrative depth with Cole Grey’s epic struggle to return home.

Which aspect of Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone most intrigues you—the expanded cooperative missions, Cole Grey’s dark transformation, or the improved sandbox elements? Share your thoughts on how The Farm 51 can evolve the Chernobylite experience with this sequel!