Stalker 2 development paused: 'We are striving to help our employees and their families to survive'

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Stalker 2 studio GSC Game World was one of the first to speak out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and to call for financial aid for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Today the studio released a brief video emphasizing the increasing danger in the country, which has forced it to move the development of Stalker 2 "to the sidelines" while it focuses on protecting its employees and their families.

The video begins with a look inside GSC's motion capture studio, recorded last week as part of a planned showcase of mocap work for Stalker 2 cutscenes. "The previous week was ages ago," the video says, reflecting how quickly and dramatically the situation changed on February 24, when Russia invaded.

"This video is our answer to 'How are you guys?' question," it continues. "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."

It's a poignant ending to a video that's difficult to watch, particularly given the increasingly dire situation inside Ukraine. No mention is made of Stalker 2, which was slated to come out on December 8, but of course there isn't: Russian troops are massing outside of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine and GSC Game World's home city, which along with other Ukrainian cities is coming under increasingly heavy bombardment, and I am quite confident that release dates are the last thing on anyone's mind right now. I've reached out to GSC Game World to ask "the most common question"—are you guys okay?—and will update if I receive a reply.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.