STALKER 2’s Ukrainian developers suffer Russia-linked security breach

^{Image: GSC Game World}

STALKER 2’s developers in Ukraine are urging fans to stay away from leaks in the wake of recent cyberattacks. 

Ukrainian game developer GSC Game World has confirmed that it has suffered a series of cyberattacks by, “a community from a Russian social network,” who are threatening to use the stolen data for, “blackmail and intimidation.” The developer is currently working on STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl while still being based in Ukraine, with many members of its team currently participating in war efforts to combat Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country. 

STALKER 2 was first revealed in 2020, after 10 years of languishing in development hell following the launch of the horror franchise’s previous entry STALKER: Call of Pripyat. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, GSC announced that the game’s development would be affected due to members of its team either fleeing their homes or joining the Ukrainian military. Eventually, development on the game was moved to Prague, Czech Republic. 

GSC tweeted that this recent security breach is not even the first the team has suffered since Russia’s invasion. The developer said:

This is not the first attempt to hack and leak our data, including personal information. We have been enduring constant cyberattacks for more than a year now. We have faced blackmail, acts of aggression, hacks, attempts to hurt players and fans, and efforts to damage the development process or the reputation of our company.

[embedded content]

Although major plot details for STALKER 2 haven’t leaked online yet, GSC requested that fans, “refrain from watching or distributing information,” if any leaks do surface online, as the leaked data is from an older work-in-progress build and wouldn’t be an accurate representation of the final game. The developer then committed to working on the sequel, “despite all the obstacles in our way,” and thanked its fans, saying, “Your support is our inspiration.”