Stalker 2 Cost of Hope DLC: Release, Price, How to Start

Cost of Hope is the first major expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and it has been out since August 20, 2026 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PS5 Pro. It is a paid DLC that brings Skif into a new Duty versus Freedom storyline, opens the Iron Forest and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant as playable regions, and launched alongside the free Update 2.0.

We checked this against GSC Game World's official Cost of Hope and Update 2.0 posts, the Steam store listing, Gematsu's Update 2.0 report, the PSNProfiles trophy list and Game8's DLC guides in November 2026.

Release Date, Platforms and Price

GSC launched Cost of Hope on August 20, 2026, and its official announcement lists PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5|PS5 Pro. As of November 2026 the Steam listing shows it at $29.99 in the US, which matches the $29.99 and £29.99 figures Gematsu reported at launch, with regional pricing varying elsewhere.

You may already own it. GSC says every owner of the Ultimate Edition or the Season Pass gets Cost of Hope automatically. Owners of the Standard and Deluxe Editions have two choices: upgrade to the Ultimate Edition, which also brings that edition's other bonuses, or buy the expansion on its own. Before you pay, check your library for an existing entitlement, especially if you bought a premium edition at launch and forgot what it included.

It is an add-on, not a standalone game, so the base game has to be installed. GSC also confirmed that saves from earlier versions are compatible with both Update 2.0 and the expansion, so you do not have to start over, though the studio suggests a fresh run if you have been away for a long time and missed the updates released in between.

What the Expansion Adds

The story picks up with Skif again, and GSC describes its events as unfolding in parallel with Heart of Chornobyl rather than after it. The core of the plot is the old rivalry between Duty and Freedom. Both factions, along with every other group in the Zone, signed the D4 Treaty before the main game, and Cost of Hope is about that pact coming apart. Duty sees the Zone as a danger to destroy, Freedom sees it as a gift to study, and Skif ends up between Zulu and Mavka, the two characters who lead each side of the story.

• Two new regions: the Iron Forest and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. GSC stresses that each region is a large territory with its own hub and dozens of smaller locations.
• Returning places: the expansion sends you back to SIRCAA and the X-16 lab, among other new and familiar spots, and Gematsu's report also names the Spatial Bubble.
• New threats and loot: Game8 lists the Flare anomaly and the Amok mutant as new arrivals, alongside new weapons and artifacts found as you follow the story.
• Two endings: unlike the four main endings, the DLC branch is settled by one choice, covered below.

Some of the best loot in the expansion sits behind keypads. The Brummbar exoskeleton, for example, waits in a safe inside Laboratory X16, and the Iron Forest has several coded safes worth opening. Our full list of safe and door codes includes every Cost of Hope keypad we could confirm.

How to Start Cost of Hope

GSC splits the DLC content into two parts tied to your progress in the main campaign. After installing it, you receive a signal on your PDA during the main story that starts the expansion. The first part becomes available shortly after you leave the Lesser Zone near the start of the game, and the second unlocks after you complete the main mission A Minor Incident.

Game8's walkthrough fills in the in-game steps. On a new playthrough, head to the Slag Heap after leaving the Lesser Zone; the first DLC mission, Terra Incognita, is tied to a new character there. Game8 describes picking it up from a radio broadcast at the Slag Heap, and its mission list also notes that talking to Chatterbox and giving him beer gets you the way into the Iron Forest. For the second part, the mission Moving in the Shadows starts after you talk to Professor Ozersky during A Minor Incident and then get a call from Mavka.

If you only want the expansion, GSC added shortcuts to the main menu. Select New Game, then DLC Content, then Skip Ahead to The Cost of Hope. You get two options:

• Early Start skips to the point where the first part of the DLC opens up. Game8 says this lands you at the fifth main mission, Back to the Slag Heap.
• Advanced Start skips to a later stage of the main story where both parts are available, and asks you to pick a Spark or Ward start. GSC says that choice only affects the main game's story, not the DLC.

GSC recommends Advanced Start for players focused on the expansion, and notes that all Update 2.0 features are available whichever start you use. Because the Zone stays open, you can leave the DLC path at any time and roam freely. Crossing into the new regions on foot is a long trip, so it is worth reading our fast travel guide to see which guides and squad leaders can shorten the walk.

The Mission Path and the Choice That Splits It

Game8's mission list for Cost of Hope runs through twelve main mission slots. The opening stretch is Terra Incognita, Step Into the Unknown, Unexpected Alliance, In the Heart of the Iron Forest and Distant Mirage, followed by Moving in the Shadows, then the paired missions Shadows of the Past and To the Origins of Freedom. Two side missions matter early: Digger's Tunnel and Dead or Alive, and Game8 warns that Dead or Alive fails if you have not finished it before In the Heart of the Iron Forest.

The turning point is The Destructive Power of the Mind. Near its end you pick a side. Choosing "Zulu, you're wrong" takes you down the Freedom route, while "Mavka, back off" commits you to Duty. After that the mission chain changes depending on your choice, and Game8 notes there is no option to switch to the other faction later. Both routes end with The Price of a Miracle, and side missions such as Fair Deal and Territorial War open up afterward.

If you are weighing that choice against the main game's endings, our guide to every Stalker 2 ending explains which base game decisions matter and where to save.

The Free Update That Launched With It

Even if you skip the expansion, the same day brought Back to the Zone, Update 2.0, free for every owner whatever the edition. GSC calls it the biggest overhaul to how the Zone looks, feels and lives since launch, including a significant engine upgrade. Expect reworked lighting, shadows and foliage, an A-Life pass that has stalkers and mutants contesting campfires and bus stops and looting the fallen even when you are not around, and fog that now cuts visibility and hearing for everyone.

It also added hardware worth knowing about before you head into the new regions: three types of binoculars, four new weapons (the Arev assault rifle, the GP3A and SKP marksman rifles and the Fora-230 submachine gun), a x3 scope for Western-bloc guns, a red dot for Eastern-bloc guns, a Statistics page on the PDA and the new Custom Rules difficulty.

How Long It Takes and What Trophies It Adds

Estimates for the expansion's length do not agree, so plan generously. GSC's own announcement says the new storyline can take dozens of hours. Game8's playtime guide is more conservative: about 10 to 12 hours for the main story on Stalker difficulty, plus 6 to 8 more hours to explore the Iron Forest and the CNPP fully, for roughly 16 to 20 hours in total. Game8 also notes that its figure leaves out the base game missions you need to finish to unlock the second half. Our breakdown of how long the whole game takes puts those numbers next to the main campaign.

On PlayStation, the DLC adds its own trophy pack. PSNProfiles lists 18 bronze trophies for Cost of Hope, which takes the PS5 total to 77. Several of them are route-specific: Freedom of Choice and This is our Duty for siding with Mavka or Zulu, In the heart of the enemy and The times of Freedom for setting up a base at the CNPP, and Battle on and win your battle or Contra spem spero for the two endings. A full set therefore needs both routes, which means keeping a save from before The Destructive Power of the Mind.

Mods are the last thing to check. GSC strongly recommended starting Update 2.0 and the expansion without mods installed, and installing them again only after modders update them, because outdated mods can cause instability and performance problems.

Setting Up a DLC Run

A lot of players jump into Cost of Hope with a fresh campaign, which means rebuilding funds and gear before the tougher Iron Forest fights. If you would rather not farm that again, the store's fully upgraded gear save is delivered on a fresh early-game profile, so the story is still yours to play, with 99,999,999 coupons, every weapon and armor set stacked x9999, all ammo types, crafting resources, weapon upgrade parts and stocked consumables and artifacts waiting in your inventory and stash.

The product page is clear about its limits: PS5 and PC only, not PS4 or Xbox; you must own the game, and carry weight is unchanged. Note that the DLC itself is a separate purchase from GSC. Other services are on the Stalker 2 page.

Frequently Asked Questions