“Stalker 2” studio appeals to fans

According to its own statements, the Ukraine-based development studio GSC Game World has been struggling with cyber attacks since the beginning of the Russian invasion war. This not only complicates the work on the game “Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl”, but could also result in leaks.

In a tweet, GSC Game World addressed the public. In it, the studio announced that a group has claimed responsibility for a hacking attack on the studio via a Russian social media platform.

Like the site Dualshockers reported, the hackers, who describe themselves as fans, posted screenshots as proof of data ownership.

In order not to leak the data for “Stalker 2”, they demand the release of the game in Russia in a localized form. The hackers also seem to be bothered by the attitude of GSC Game World towards Russia and Belarus.

Apparently there are also personal reasons for the hack: A Discord account that was unjustly blocked from one’s own point of view should be released again.

Attempts to intimidate GSC Game World are “completely futile,” the studio said on Twitter. It’s not the first attempt to intimidate staff with game data or even personal information, and as a Ukrainian company, the studio would have a lot more to contend with in times of war.

Instead, the developers are turning directly to their fans not to view or share potential leaks for “Stalker 2”. “Materials that are outdated or still in progress may distort the impression of the final game,” the studio writes.

Even without cyber attacks, the completion of “Stalker 2” takes place under difficult circumstances. At the beginning of the war, 500 employees of GSC Game World had to be evacuated to a hastily set up office in Prague Wired has reported. The developers who were left behind would work from home in the war zone.

One could write a book about the hardships of the company since the beginning of the war, production boss Maria Grygorovych told the magazine. Nevertheless, “Stalker 2” should appear at the end of 2023.