With people all around the world trying to survive the coronavirus outbreak, developers at GSC Game World think it’s the best opportunity to release the first official screenshot from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 as we have now dipped a toe into the world of the game in our own real life.

Representing a forest-like area with some rusty, useless cars in the middle, the most interesting part of the shot is a mysterious magical wormhole in the air. While we know there will be some mutated monsters in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, that shiny floating thing in the air keeps me thinking what it could refer to. Along with this new screenshot, GSC Game World has also released a new statement, promising that more new details will come out about the game later in 2020.

Since its announcement back in 2018, this is the first time we get to have a look at the game which would likely be a next-gen title as it's scheduled to launch 2021. Inspired by the first trilogy of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. seriesS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is being developed by a Russian team with a special focus on its haunting atmosphere. Powered by Unreal Engine 4, the game is promised to deliver incredibly realistic graphics as part of the mission to make it an atmospheric game.

Despite being under development for nearly two years, the available information on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is very little, especially when it comes to its story. The last time we heard new details from the development team was back in 2019 when they appeared on an interview with the Russian YouTube channel Антишнапс, revealing that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 won’t be featuring any Battle Royale modes in the multiplayer section. Besides this, they confirmed that modding tools will be available for players to try out their creative plans in the game.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is set to be released sometime in 2021 for platforms that are yet to be revealed.