Before release Stalker 2: Heart of ChernobylGSC Game World released a documentary recording the lives of the game’s creators during the ongoing war.
“War Game: A Documentary on the Making of STALKER 2” you can watch now YouTubefeaturing first-hand accounts from members of the development team and what it’s like to create the game since Russia invaded their homeland, Ukraine, on February 24, 2022.
The 90-minute documentary explores the history of the Ukrainian studio and details the employees’ personal lives after the invasion, as well as revealing the harrowing images of war that have been documented over the past two years.
Since the beginning of the war, GSC Game World had to work under hard conditions to complete the game Stalker 2which imaginative director Mariia Grygorovych calls “the biggest game in the company’s history.”
The documentary explores the history of Ukraine and the impact of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on the studio, as well as memories of the months leading up to the Russian invasion.
According to Grygorovych, when rumors of a 2021 invasion began circulating, GSC had already booked transportation for its developers to escort them from Kiev to safety in Uzhgorod.
As the conflict escalated, the team was eventually forced to evacuate and many employees were transferred from Ukraine to Budapest. This decision was associated with many problems, such as roadblocks and crossing borders on foot (via Xbox cable).
One developer, Anton, recounted his experiences during the invasion, recalling how he had to take shelter in the basement with his family, saying, “Like a stalker, you have to learn to live in these situations.”
There was no Internet for weeks and Anton started drawing on paper, “so I didn’t stop developing,” so to speak Stalker 2 was “my goal in life to do this project.”
Finally GSC in 2022 he moved the studio to Prague where they could safely continue working, but in some aspects the team had to work from scratch.
Some of the actors who played roles in the game had to be replaced because they joined the fight in the war, while others moved elsewhere or lost contact.
Due to the ongoing war, the game has experienced many delays.
The game was supposed to be released on September 5, but in July GSC announced a two-month delay for emergency bug fixing.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl currently launching on November 20, 2024 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC, and on day one as part of Xbox Game Pass.
