STALKER 2 Puts a Stop to the Imitation Game
The highly anticipated STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has become a source of controversy even before its release. Developer GSC Game World intervened against the independent horror game Misery, citing copyright infringement. The developer, who removed the game from Steam, reacted strongly to the decision.
STALKER 2 Team Removes Misery Due to Copyright Infringement
Ukrainian studio GSC Game World filed a DMCA lawsuit against Misery, alleging that it copied content from STALKER 2. Valve subsequently removed the game from Steam. Misery’s developer, Maewing, described the move on social media as “a large studio crushing a small developer.”
The developer maintained that Misery is set in a completely original universe and has no connection to STALKER 2. The statement stated, “We did not use any characters, story, music, or assets. Everything is original or licensed.” However, images shared by players revealed striking similarities between the two games.
Documents submitted by Valve to the GSC showed side-by-side comparisons of scenes from STALKER: Call of Prypiat with the environments in Misery. The almost identical scenes, particularly those featuring gas-masked characters playing guitar by a fire, reinforced the claims. Despite this, the developer stated that the situation was a “misunderstanding” and that the game would return to Steam shortly.
While some users criticized the GSC following the incident, new findings shared on Reddit provided strong evidence that Misery did indeed use STALKER 2 assets. It also brought to light some controversial posts the developer had made in the past. However, the GSC has yet to make an official statement. However, this incident has completely changed the agenda of STALKER 2 before the 2025 updates.
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