Ukraine based studio GSC Game World has released a statement today as Russia has begun to invade the country. The studio behind the highly anticipated Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl had this to say:
As of today, the Russian Federation has officially declared war on Ukraine. Our country woke up with the sounds of explosions and weapons fire, but is ready to defend its freedom and independence, for it remains strong and ready for anything. The future is unknown, but we hope for the best, are ever sure of our armed forces and our belief in Ukraine.
GSC also called on fellow game developers and fans to spread the word and support those in need:
We thus address all our colleagues in the gaming industry and players, bloggers, or anyone who sees this post in their newsfeed: share this, do not stand aside and help those in need.
— GSC Game World (@GSC_GW) February 24, 2022
It is currently unknown what effect this will have on the development and release of Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl. The game is scheduled to release December 8th, 2022 after a delay was announced earlier in January.
GSC Game World is not the only studio based in Ukraine. The game development scene in the country has been growing steadily over the last decade, with thousands now employed in studios within the country, it is believed. Metro studio 4A Games was based in Ukraine before moving to Malta, and Ubisoft and World of Tanks developer Wargaming also have studios in Ukraine.
I don’t think people quite understand how much the Ukrainian game dev scene has grown in the past ten years. These slides are taken from a 2018 report, too – the number of studios has only grown since then. https://t.co/8ofNLdw0iQ pic.twitter.com/kwsfLiMU59
— James B. Jones (@TheJamesBJones) February 24, 2022
Many cars have been seen trying to leave the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, where GSC Game World is headquartered. Many are trying to seek safety safety closer to Poland and NATO troops. GSC has not stated what their plans are as of the writing of this article.
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