'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' Development Put On Hold As Ukraine Based Studio "Help Employees Survive”

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has made the world a very worrying place for everyone, not least the people of Ukraine who are being directly affected and threatened. 

A number of game studios around the world have been showing their support for Ukraine, both by releasing statements, and also making donations to support those in need. However, GSC Game World, the Ukraine-based studio behind the upcoming survival horror S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, have announced that they’re understandably having to pause development on their game to ensure the safety of their employees and families.

As reported by VGC, the devs gave the update via a video posted to their official YouTube channel: “On the 24th of February, Russia declared war on Ukraine and sent rockets, tanks and soldiers to our homeland,” the video’s captions read. “Our country is forced to fight for existence again. Seems like this is the price of freedom.

“This video is our answer to [the] ‘how are you guys?’ question. Now we are striving to help our employees and their families to survive,” it continues. “The game development [has] shifted to the sidelines. But we will definitely continue. After the victory. Glory to Ukraine.”

Last month, it was announced that the game’s release was being delayed by seven months, and would be set to release on 8 December 2022: “Those additional seven months of development are needed to fulfil our vision and achieve the desired state of the game,” the studio said at the time. “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the biggest project in the history of GSC, and it requires thorough testing and polishing. We are convinced that development should take as long as necessary, especially in the case of such a project.” 

Real world circumstances have obviously shifted significantly since then, and the priority should absolutely be going towards the safety of the employees rather than the release of a video game. If you want to do your bit to support Ukraine, many game developers are currently donating their profits from certain games towards humanitarian aid efforts - check out our list here. Alternatively, you can donate directly to the British Red Cross’ Ukraine Crisis Appeal here.