Original story: In an almost unheard-of move, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernboyl developer GSC Game World has released an early build of its 2007 post-apocalyptic shooter, allowing fans a peek at cut levels and unfinished features.

The playable build--dated October 18, 2004 and called the "xrCore build 1935"--is available from a number of sources linked from the GSC-created forum thread. Several levels unused levels including Dead City, Swamp and Generators are explorable in the build.

First announced in 2001, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s development was infamously protracted, with GSC missing its original release window of 2003 by four years. A pre-alpha build of the title, labeled as build 1096, was leaked in late 2003.