GSC Game World puts development of Stalker 2 'on the sidelines,' given the ongoing geopolitical struggles

After several initial delays over the years, Stalker 2 is scheduled for a Q4 release this year, which developers GSC Game World confirmed. However, that set of information may have become redundant due to the current geopolitical tensions in the world.

For a long time, there wasn't any confirmation that the three Stalker games released a decade back would get a successor.

Stalker 2 was announced way back, but financial turmoil and other issues severely affected any development plan. Eventually, GSC Game World announced the game in the making and was scheduled to release their product in the first half of 2022.

The earlier planned release was pushed back, and the developers also confirmed the new set of dates. As of now, the game's official release date is on December 8, 2022. However, things could be delayed further based on an official video release.

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Geopolitical tensions have affected the development of Stalker 2

Earlier on March 2, GSC Game World posted a video on their official channel. The video started with a reflection on game development. The developers showed how the cutscenes that will be part of the game are being developed. However, the latter part of the video is much more significant.

While many studios have condemned the attack by Russia on Ukraine, GSC Game World has been more vocal. The studio is also located in Ukraine and operates from there, and they have been affected.

As per the video, the development of Stalker 2 is being put on the sidelines. For the time being, the studio's focus will be to ensure everyone's safe and sound.

"This video is our answer to 'How are you guys?' question. Now we are striving to help our employees and their families to survive. The game development shifted to the sidelines. But we will continue. After the victory."

While it's not stated directly, one can easily interpret given the current situation, the game's development is halted. No date has been given out yet, which is justified as the focus should be on the safety of everyone involved at GSC Game World.

With no clear timeline as to when the tensions will end, it remains to be seen how long the delay to the game's development will be. But things don't look too good and there's a high chance that Stalker 2 will come out in 2023. However, the most important thing right now is to be concerned about the safety and well-being of everyone concerned.