Quite rightly, Ukraine-based studio GSC Game World halted production on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl back in March following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement, developers of the survival-horror confirmed that the studio had temporarily shut down as it turned its focus to helping “our employees and their families to survive.” They went on to say, “The game development [has] shifted to the sidelines. But we will definitely continue. After the victory. Glory to Ukraine.”
Prior to halting production, GSC Game World released this gameplay trailer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Take a look below.
As spotted by GRYOnline, GSC Game World appears to have confirmed that production on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has now continued. A fan recently took to the game’s official Discord channel to enquire about the status of production. They quickly received a reply from one of the studio’s devs confirming that “It continues.”
This news comes in spite of the fact that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine persists. As noted by VGC, GSC Game World reportedly moved their base of operations from Kyiv to Prague in late March. This follows a change in the game’s title as Chernobyl shifted to Chornobyl, likely to reflect the Ukrainian spelling of the infamous nuclear power plant.
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 follows the adventure of Skif, an illegal scavenger. Skif enters the Chornobyl Zone in search of valuable artifacts but soon comes face to face with mutants, mercenaries, and fellow scavengers.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a number of video game studios shared their support for the country. CD Projekt Red, 11 Bit Studios, and Crytivo all made major donations to the Ukrainian Red Cross, whilst Guerrilla Games added a nod of support into Horizon Forbidden West.
VGC went on to note that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s website is reportedly blocked in Russia, at the request of the Russian government.