S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Five exciting facts about Ukrainian game sensation

For 15 years, fans of the cult S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game series have been waiting for the release of a new game set in the post-apocalyptic universe of Chornobyl. This November, the wait was finally over. Despite all the challenges of war, the Ukrainian game-developing company GSC Game World released the sequel, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

According to fans and experts, the wait was worth it. The new installment is a better, improved version of the profoundly thought-through, multi-layered, and immersive world first introduced to gamers in 2007.

Want to know more about the Ukrainian game making waves in global gaming? Rubryka presents five S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 exciting facts.

1. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is an adventure with endless possibilities

For those who don't know the game's premise, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is set in an alternate, post-apocalyptic universe of 21st-century Ukraine after the 2006 radiation leak in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Stalkers — players — try to get into the Zone, which is closed and guarded by the army, and find valued artifacts with unique, radiation-caused properties.

This narrative continues in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl and features a branching plot with a 40-hour leading storyline, four different endings, and multiple side quests. Your choices as a player shape the story, so you need to play the game numerous times to explore every storyline.

Making a decision will take work. You'll be presented with complex moral dilemmas, and the path you choose will drastically influence your relationships with the game's characters, making S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 fresh and more exciting with each playthrough.

2. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 world is handcrafted

Ukrainian developers meticulously designed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, handcrafting each object, character, and scene without using procedural generation, a method in which images are created not manually but automatically with the help of an algorithm.

GSC Game World created a 64-square-kilometer world with diverse landscapes, including the actual Chornobyl facilities, like the Duga radar system and the nuclear power plant, and irradiated forests and meadows.

The game designers also made the physics in this world as accurate to real life as possible. Players can interact with anomalies, study them, and learn to navigate hazardous zones. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl even offers special guides to help players improve their survival skills.

The world is also constantly changing. Developers created one global lighting system in the game, making transitions between day and night and weather conditions more realistic. The time of day and weather also affect gameplay and character behavior.

3. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is fully Ukrainian

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a distinctly Ukrainian creation. The game features Ukrainian-language dialogue and themes and, on principle, does not have Russian voiceovers available; instead, it offers English as an alternative.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 makes many nods to Ukrainian culture. During radio broadcasts, players can listen to over 450 songs, including popular Ukrainian hits like Okean Elzy's Without a Fight, and even hear the host recommend traditional Ukrainian recipes, such as stewed cabbage.

Other Easter eggs throughout the game, alluding to Ukrainian heritage and pop culture, are Ukrainian national icon Taras Shevchenko's poetry, traditional bus stop mosaics, and small details, such as Ukrainian coins, the trident, and Non-Stop energy drinks. The game also makes reference to the war in Ukraine by including signs of bomb shelters Ukrainians see daily during air raids.

4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a patriotic tribute to Ukraine

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is deeply personal for its developers and dedicated to Ukrainian soldiers, both living and fallen. The game's credits feature a heartfelt message: "Through death and pain, war, fear, and cruelty, Ukraine will endure. It always has and always will. Dedicated to all who defended and continue defending Ukraine and those who made this day possible. Eternal memory to all lives lost to this war."

Two members of the development team, Volodymyr Yezhov and Oleksii Khilskyi, were killed on the front line. In their honor, the studio produced a documentary, War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, showing the challenges of game development during the war.

Yezhov's likeness inspired the character Loki, while real-life soldier and actor Oleksandr "Sei" Laptii of the Azov Brigade was the model for another essential character. A portion of the game's proceeds is donated to support Ukraine's Armed Forces.

5. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a hit

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was so highly anticipated that it achieved phenomenal success within days. On release day, the game broke records on the Twitch streaming platform with over 416,000 concurrent viewers — the fifth-highest gaming launch in 2024.

By the end of its first day, Heart of Chornobyl amassed 2.65 million hours watched on Twitch, outperforming popular games like League of Legends and Counter-Strike.

Within five days after its launch, the studio sold 1.4 million copies on the Steam storefront. The game surged to the top of Steam's sales charts, surpassing premium and free-to-play titles.

The media outlet PC Gamer even went on to say, "Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has almost single-handedly saved 2024 from being an absolutely rubbish year for gaming."

*BONUS

If you're an avid Harry Potter fan, like Ukrainian game developers, you'll be happy to come across this Easter egg: