Stalker 2 Aims To Represent “Ukraine’s Unbreakable Spirit To The World”

After winning the award for “Most Wanted Game” at the PC Gaming Show, in his acceptance speech, Evgeniy Grygorovych, the CEO of GSC Game World talked about what it was like working on Stalker 2 in the midst of the war. Grygorovych decribes Stalker 2 is a national product “aiming to convey Ukraine’s unbreakable spirit to the world.”

The war still goes on in Ukraine. Those currently fighting on the front lines, including GSC employees, are real heroes. Not all of them were trained for this. They simply couldn’t turn away. Stalker 2 was important for us even before the war, but now it stands as a national product aiming to convey Ukraine’s unbreakable spirit to the world. Today we celebrate our victory here, while simultaneously striving for our homeland’s ultimate triumph in the future. I am overwhelmed with the joy to recognize that Stalker 2 enters the final phase of development. Fellow Stalkers will soon reunite in The Zone once again. Thank you all for this award.”

Grygorovych started his speech acknowledging how he felt receiving the award. He then proceeds to thank the Stalker fans who have supported the series and the studio for so long, keeping it alive and relevant even decades after its release. 

It is easy to see why Stalker 2 is as highly anticipated as it is. The last entry in the series, Stalker: Call of Pripyat came out in 2009. Since then, fans have kept the series going through supporting it through its incredibly diverse mod scene. From total conversions to entire gameplay overhaul, fans have spent years molding the games into something very unique and flexible. 

Mods aren’t the only reason that the Stalker games are relevant for. The reason these games have garnered such a massive following is thanks to the allure of The Zone, the setting in which the series takes place. GSC Game World created one of gaming’s most iconic and immersive settings with The Zone. Creating something that is both deathly punishing, and hard to turn back on. 

Grygorovych further addresses the challenges that the team has had to face during the development of Stalker 2. From cyberattacks to major leaks to the pandemic.

Stalker 2 stands as the biggest and most complex game in our lives. It was ambitious from the beginning, but evolved into an ultimate challenge. It holds extreme significance, and a deeply personal connection for us, crafted amidst the most stressful conditions imaginable, including the pandemic, war, relocation, cyberattacks, life threats and more.”

While Stalker 2 still does not have a definitive release date, it is estimated to launch sometime in the first quarter of 2024.