Developed by GSC Game World, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl seems to be most popular among Ukrainian soldiers.
Developed by GSC Game World, Ukraine’s most famous gaming company, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl was released on November 20 and was downloaded by more than 1.5 million people worldwide in a short time. However, the biggest fans of the game were the Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the front.
STALKER 2 Turned into a Manifesto
The game takes place in a fictional Chernobyl exclusion zone. Especially for soldiers on the front line, this game became a tool to get away from the stress of war and to feel national pride. Soldiers state that the locations in the game resemble real battlefields, which brings back memories of war.
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Ihor, a young Ukrainian soldier, says that he could not stop playing until late at night, until he went on duty. Reconnaissance drone pilot Yevhen says the game helps him relax and take a break from everything.
The game, which was normally expected to be released in April 2022, had to be postponed due to the Russian invasion. Some game developers even joined the front. Now STALKER 2 is seen as one of Ukraine’s symbols of resistance.
There is still great interest in the game, which not every soldier can play due to equipment restrictions. Some soldiers received new computers specifically for the game. They state that the weapons and locations in the game are very close to reality. It is said that there are soldiers who play games for an hour or two before patrol duty and then rush to their real fronts.
STALKER 2 contains many details specific to Ukrainian culture. In the opening of the play, it is emphasized that it is dedicated to those who defended Ukraine and those who lost their lives in the war. That’s why for some soldiers, the play is a manifesto: “We are still here, we live and we continue to fight.”