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Ahead of the release of Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, GSC Game World has released a documentary recording the lives of its developers amid an ongoing war.
The ‘War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Documentary’ can now be watched on YouTube, featuring first-hand accounts of members of the development team and what it’s been like to make a game since Russia’s invasion of their home country Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The 90-minute documentary touches on the history of the Ukrainian studio and details the personal lives of employees following the invasion, while also depicting the harrowing images that have been documented of the war for the last two years.
Since the war began, the GSC Game World has had to work under challenging conditions to complete Stalker 2, which creative director Mariia Grygorovych calls “the biggest game in the history of the company”.
The documentary highlights Ukraine’s history and how the Chornobyl nuclear disaster influenced the studio, along with recollections of the months leading up to Russia’s invasion.
According to Grygorovych, when rumors began circulating about the invasion in 2021, GSC already had transport booked for its developers to escort them to safety in Uzhhorod, from Kyiv.
As the conflict escalated, the team was ultimately forced to evacuate, with many employees being moved from Ukraine to Budapest, a decision that came with a lot of issues, like roadblocks and crossing borders on foot (via Xbox Wire).
One developer, named Anton, discussed his experience during the invasion, recalling how he had to take shelter in a cellar with his family, saying “Like a Stalker, you have to learn how to live in such situations”.
There was no internet for weeks and Anton switched to drawing on paper, “so I didn’t stop developing”, saying that Stalker 2 was “my goal in life to do this project”.
GSC eventually moved the studio to Prague in 2022 where they were able to continue working safely, however, the team had to work from scratch in some aspects.
Some actors who had roles in the game had to be replaced as they had joined up to fight in the war, while others had moved elsewhere or lost contact.
Due to the ongoing war, the game has seen many delays.
The game was set to launch on September 5, but in July, GSC announced a two-month delay for emergency bug fixing.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl is now expected to launch on November 20, 2024, for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC and day one on Xbox Game Pass.