How Stalker 2's Developers Persevered As Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine Began
GSC Game World went through far more harrowing events than most game developers--or people--ever will, during the development of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. What began as a long-awaited revival of a classic FPS series soon took on new meaning as a show of defiance against a malicious invader in 2022. On February 24, Russia--under false pretenses--launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, threatening the lives of hundreds of game developers and their families. Around 200 employees evacuated, setting up a new office in Prague, but a remarkable number chose to stay in Kyiv: roughly 230.
Though the city hasn't been subjected to large-scale battles since the early days of the war, it has been the frequent target of deadly drone attacks, missiles, and airstrikes. Reasons for staying vary among the GSC Game World team, but their perseverance mirrors that of Ukraine itself--Russia's strategy to charge toward the capital was thwarted near the start of the invasion, and Ukraine continues to fight back more than three years later.
"I don't want to leave. I won't forgive myself," narrative designer Maksym Hnatkov told us as part of our GameSpot Insider documentary on Stalker 2's development. "I don't know--I was pissed. I was angry. At that point in time, leaving was not an option and staying wasn't that scary."
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