That's what blogger and former 1C marketing guy Sergey Galyonkin claims in this post (A Google Translate version is here) - though Bethesda has yet to comment. If true though, it wouldn't be the first time it took over a popular post-apocalyptic series, and there's definitely a gap to slide into - the original team has long since set up a new company and moved onto a new game called Survarium.
This story first kicked around back in April, with former GSC studio head and rights owner Sergei Grigorovich flat-out denying that Bethesda had bought the rights to the series. Licensed is a different word though, easily allowing for a Bethesda developed STALKER 2, without ruling out more permanent collaboration or full-on later acquisition if things seem to be going well.
Promising? Devastating? More on the story it happens, but where do you stand on the basic idea? Remember, Bethesda isn't just the Fallout/The Elder Scrolls developer, but teams like Arkane and id, and with enough resources to have its pick of third party developers if it chooses. It might even decide it doesn't have to use the Gamebryo engine for once, though... well... it's unlikely, isn't it?
While we wait for further updates, here's a quick reminder of what 'classic' STALKER was like.
(And yes, I know I'm not typing 'STALKER' correctly, but I refuse to add the silly full stops until someone gives me a good answer of what it's meant to be an abbreviation of. Harrumph.)
Non-Update Update: Bethesda responds with a "No Comment" over on VG247
