Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine is ongoing, sadly with no end to the conflict in sight, and its impacts continue to be felt globally and most acutely in Ukraine itself. Developer GSC Game World was based in Kyiv and, since the war began, has been facing the direst of circumstances: development of Stalker 2 was temporarily paused while it helped some employees flee the conflict zone, while other staff are volunteering or have signed up for the Ukrainian armed forces.
This has inevitably led to Stalker 2 being delayed, first into 2023, as GSC grapples with not only the practicalities of developing an entertainment product amidst war but constant cyberattacks from Russian elements (the studio has taken a public pro-Ukraine stance that made it a target for both the Russian state, which has essentially banned the game, and Russian cyberattacks resulting in leaked builds).
