The current dangerous situation in Ukraine has forced GSC Game World to pause the development of Stalker 2. The focus is now on the safety of the families.
The war in Ukraine affects everyone living there, including the GSC Game World team currently working on Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl. The shooter was supposed to be released on 8 December 2022, but this date is now unlikely to be met. The reason is the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The developer has addressed the fans with a statement and reports on the current situation on the ground. You can watch the one and a half minute video here, but please be warned: A few short scenes show the sad reality in Ukraine.
Attention. This video shows images of explosions, missile strikes and soldiers in the war zone. If you don’t want to watch this video, read a summary in the section below.
Survival is the priority at the moment
At the beginning of the video you can still see a few peaceful clips. Last week, they were still working quietly on motion capture recordings. They wanted to show the fans how the cutscenes of the game were being worked on, an insight into the creative everyday life of the studio. But now everything is different.
Last week was an eternity ago. This sentence makes it clear what situation the staff of GSC Game World is currently in. The development of Stalker 2 is now paused for the time being. The main concern at the moment is to survive together with the family members. But at the same time it is made clear that development will continue as soon as peace is restored.
This video is our answer to the question “How are you? We are currently working to help our employees and their families survive. The development of the game has been put on the sidelines. But we will definitely continue.
Other game developers have also reacted to the situation in Ukraine and drawn consequences.