Stalker 2 Dev Victim Of Yet Another Russian Hack, Ask Fans Not To Look At Leaked Materials

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl developer GSC Game World is the victim of yet another Russian hack, and the Ukrainian studio is urging fans anticipating the upcoming FPS to steer clear of leaked information that may come out of it.

In a statement posted to Twitter, GSC Game World writes that Russian hackers, who according to the developer have been attacking the studio for almost a year and a half following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, accessed game materials intended for internal testing. The developer is asking fans to avoid leaks and to not share any leaked materials that become public due to the hack.

"Although these materials are only used for testing purposes and are not release-ready, these leaks may ruin your experience of exploring the Zone by yourself," GSC Game World writes.

This isn't the first time GSC Game World, which partially relocated from Ukraine to the Czech Republic following Russia's invasion, has come under digital attack. The developer claimed back in March that Russian hackers were attempting to blackmail it, and at that time made clear it wasn't the first, or likely the last, time Russian hackers would attempt to steal data.

"We have been enduring constant cyber-attacks for more than a year now," GSC Game World wrote in March. "We have faced blackmail, acts of aggression, hacks, attempts to hurt players and fans, and efforts to damage the development process or the reputation of our company."

GSC Game World has put out multiple statements declaring its support for Ukraine's military following Russia's invasion, likely making the studio a target of Russian-based cyber-attacks. The developer even changed the game's subtitle from the more widely used Russian spelling of "Chernobyl" to "Chornobyl" to reflect the Ukrainian spelling of the real-life exclusion zone where the game's fictional story takes place. In a post from February of this year reflecting on the one-year anniversary of the invasion, GSC Game World stated "We still remember life before the conflict and can see a future where we can return to our homes, rebuild our cities, and live in peace.

GSC Game World in its latest statement writes that its team "remains dedicated to delivering an exceptional gaming experience" and that Stalker 2 is "the game we dedicate our hearts and souls to." Stalker 2 was originally intended to release last year, before being delayed to sometime in 2023. It will release on PC and Xbox Series X|S, and is slated to be a day one Game Pass release.