STALKER 2 Became a Manifesto to Ukrainian Soldiers

Developed by Ukraine’s most famous game company, GSC Game World, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl was released on November 20 and has been downloaded by over 1.5 million people worldwide in a short time. However, the biggest fans of the game were Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the front lines.

STALKER 2 Became a Manifesto

The game takes place in an imaginary Chernobyl exclusion zone. For soldiers on the front lines in particular, this game has become a tool to escape the stress of war and to feel national pride. Soldiers say that the locations in the game resemble real battlefields and that this brings back memories of war.

Ihor, a young Ukrainian soldier, says he couldn’t stop playing the game until late at night, until he went on a mission. Yevhen, a reconnaissance drone pilot, says the game helped him relax and take a break from everything.

The game, which was originally 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 the symbols of Ukraine’s resistance.

Although not every soldier can play the game due to equipment restrictions, there is still great interest in the game. Some soldiers bought new computers specifically for the game. They say the weapons and locations in the game are very close to reality. It is said that there are soldiers who play the game for an hour or two before patrolling and then rush to their real fronts.

STALKER 2 contains many details specific to Ukrainian culture. The opening of the game emphasizes that it is dedicated to those who defended Ukraine and those who lost their lives in the war. So for some soldiers, the play is a manifesto: “We are still here, we are alive and we are still fighting.”

Read More: STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl Sold More Than One Million Copies Upon It’s Launch