The highly anticipated S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been a long time coming. Fans have been eagerly awaiting a sequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl since 2007, but an unforeseen event dramatically altered the course of development: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
GSC Game World, the Kyiv-based developers, have been transparent about the devastating impact of the war on their lives and the game’s development. Their story is now documented in “War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2,” a 97-minute documentary available on YouTube. This film delves into the struggles, war, and determination that have shaped the game’s creation.
The documentary begins with a history of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and the studio, but quickly shifts to the war’s devastating effects. The team, initially skeptical of Putin’s intentions, made arrangements to evacuate their employees on buses to Uzhhorod, a town near the NATO border. Buses were constantly ready, prepared to transport staff, their families, and former colleagues to a safer location.
The documentary paints a vivid picture of the team’s turmoil. Some developers were determined to stay and fight, while others simply wished to continue working on the game. Ultimately, 183 employees, their families, and former staff were evacuated and set up in a hotel. However, 139 people chose to remain in Kyiv.
On a Sunday morning in February 2022, before the official start of the invasion, the team packed their essentials, gathered their families, and left for Uzhhorod. The attack on Kyiv began shortly after their evacuation, much closer than they had anticipated. The narrative poignantly captures the developers’ personal experiences, including one developer’s struggle to obtain his newborn child’s passport during the attack and another’s conflicting feelings about his mother’s refusal to leave.
As the war unfolded, the team faced a multitude of challenges. Their equipment, including a massive motion capture studio, was left behind in Kyiv. Some developers were cut off from internet access and communication with the outside world. One concept artist, Anton, was forced to work on his game designs using pen and paper in a basement.
Despite these hardships, GSC Game World demonstrated remarkable resilience. They established a new office in Prague, found replacements for actors, and created spaces for Ukrainian developers to work and stay warm. They showcased their progress at Gamescom 2023, but the reception was lukewarm, leading to another delay, this time until early 2024. The game was delayed again to September and is now scheduled for release in November.
Digital Trends recently had a chance to play a preview of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and according to their account, the game appears to be worth the long wait.
