The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had an impact on many industries – the gaming industry included. Ukraine based developer GSC Game World currently working on Stalker 2 has officially halted production as its focus shifts to “striving to help employees and their families alive.”
In a video posted to their official Youtube channel recently, GSC Game World has given us an update on their situation and how the situation in Ukraine has affected them. The video starts off by saying:
The previous week, we were editing the video about our motion capture studio. We wanted to show how the cutscenes were created. Took time to watch videos, write scripts and speak with actors.
The previous week was ages ago.
It then continues:
On the 24th of February, Russia declared war on Ukraine and sent rockets, tanks and soldiers to our homeland. 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.
The game development shifted to the sidelines. But we will definitely continue. After the victory. Glory to Ukraine.
This news is of course not unexpected. GSC Game World previously released a statement saying that “the future was uncertain” but they “hoped for the best” and urged fellow game developers and fans to support Ukraine and those in need. Stalker 2 had been previously delayed until December 8th, 2022 and it is uncertain how this halt in development will affect the release date moving forward. The studio currently has bigger things to worry about, but remains resolute in its commitment to continue development “after the victory [of Ukraine].”
Stay tuned at Gaming Instincts via Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for more gaming news.
Includes several titles.
Which was showcased at E3 2003.