The story of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope revolves around the long-burning conflict between the Duty and Freedom factions. Two iconic rivals, who see the Zone differently — as a danger to humanity, and as a gift to it. But how did it all start?OriginsCaptain Tachenko was one of the military men sent into the Zone. When he witnessed the horrifying secrets hidden within this place, he realized he could never return to the Big Land. Not before the Zone was destroyed — no matter the cost.Tachenko later disappeared, but his ideas lived on. A group of like-minded followers evolved into a full-fledged paramilitary faction, Duty. Living by a strict code and organized along military lines, Duty grew into a major force — a shield protecting humanity from the Zone. But for every action, there is a reaction. Some believed the Zone should be opened to humanity. One such stalker, Chekhov, gathered people around him to explore the Zone for their own benefit and for the good of the Big Land. He believed an entire faction could be built on liberty and equality, even if others would later label them anarchists.And so Freedom was born. Living in harmony with the Zone, they became the second most powerful faction here, drawing more and more stalkers into their ranks.Two opposites could not live in peace. And so, a lingering war began.You can explore the full lore and story in the original trilogy games, which are now available as Enhanced Editions in the Legends of the Zone bundle on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.NowadaysS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 takes place in 2021, many years after the founding of these factions. While we won’t share any spoilers about the lore and story of the whole series, let us give you a glimpse into Duty and Freedom, which have not stood still during these years.Duty With the arrival of the Ward in the Zone, everything changed. The D4 Treaty put an end to the faction wars. Duty withdrew from Rostok to the Cement Factory. It may seem that its current leader, Voronin, has lost his resolve. But is everything really so simple when it comes to the actions of a battle-hardened general?ZuluAnd yet there are still those within Duty who remain fiercely devoted to the idea of protecting the world from the threats of the Zone and are ready to act decisively. After mysterious events forced him to leave Duty’s ranks, Zulu, a familiar face from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Prypiat, returns to the faction at Voronin’s personal request.Freedom For Freedom, meanwhile, a golden age has arrived. At least, that is what Miklukha, Freedom’s leader and the creator of a new currency — coupons — believes. And what is gold, if not money? Now, both coupons and customers from across the Zone are flowing into Rostok like a river.MavkaThe Arena is thriving too — thanks in no small part to its commentator, Mavka. She cuts into stalkers with words while mutants tear into them with claws, yet never withholds her sharp-edged praise from the victor. Still, this is far from why she came to the Zone in the first place — and more and more often, Mavka slips away alone on expeditions beyond it all.Is the conflict reemerging? S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope is a massive expansion that will take dozens of hours to complete and even more if you choose to fully explore two new regions: the Iron Forest and the legendary CNPP. New locations, arch-anomalies, and more await, but above all, this is a new chapter in the story of the renowned factions.  The non-linear story principle, present in the main game, is applied here as well. Your decisions will directly affect not only the outcome, but the general narration of the story, which you won’t be able to see in full in one playthrough.Stay tuned for more and jump into S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community to chat about all the lore details and speculate near the campfire about what awaits you next!https://www.stalker2.com/news/zone_between_duty_and_freedom*Illustrations source: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Interactive Almanac