Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl may have faced more challenges than the developers anticipated, but its release is nearly miraculous given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Now, Russian propaganda channels are spreading a baseless claim that Stalker 2 is enlisting players into the Ukrainian military to combat the Russian invasion.
As reported by 404 Media, a video is circulating on Telegram, falsely attributed to a Wired report. Emails have been sent to journalists alleging that Ukrainian developer GSC Game World is aiding the government in identifying 'suitable citizens for mobilization' through a program embedded in the game that collects player data and locations. It also suggests that Ukraine funded Stalker 2's development in exchange for this data.
PC Gamer notes that the video advises Stalker 2 fans to use a VPN while playing to avoid this purported data collection. This indicates that the propaganda's main target is not Western or Ukrainian players, but rather Russian fans. The Stalker series was popular in Russia before the invasion and continues to be so. The video likely aims to discourage Russian players from engaging with the game or anything that portrays Ukraine positively.
The documentary War Game: The Making of Stalker 2 revealed how the Russian invasion disrupted the game's development. Most of GSC Game World's team had to leave the country to complete the project, while others stayed to fight in the actual war. The developer released a day-one patch to address some of Stalker 2's issues. However, GSC Game World remains dedicated to resolving the game's remaining bugs. Stalker 2 has already sold over 1 million copies on PC and Xbox, and it's also available on Game Pass.
Source link: https://www.gamespot.com
