Angry Russian Gamer Leaks STALKER Console Port Plans

gamerant.com:

The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has left much of the world upended — whether on a humanitarian level or a financial one — since it officially began on February 24. The conflict has even impacted the video game industry in palpable ways, which became clear when the developer of STALKER and its upcoming sequel, GSC Game World fled from Ukraine to the Czech Republic.

Many game companies have rallied to show support for Ukraine, releasing special DLC or game bundles whose proceeds support assistance efforts in the besieged country. But opposition to the war has come in the form of more subtle protests as well. For example, in March, GSC changed the title of its upcoming game from STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl, the more familiar Russian spelling, to Heart of Chornobyl, which reflects the Ukrainian spelling.

STALKER 2 Resumes Development

Not everybody sees the situation in Ukraine from the same point of view, however. Recently, a Russian streamer going by the names “Nevazhno, Kto” and “Velichaishii” leaked footage of an apparent console port of the original STALKER, which will supposedly release right before STALKER 2 in 2023. Along with the leaked footage, Velichaishii wrote a five-page manifesto of sorts in which he declared that GSC has betrayed its Russian fans.

According to the Russian content creator, his actions are retaliation for alleged offenses committed by the Ukrainian developer. Foremost among his complaints is the fact that GSC encouraged gamers, including Russians, to donate to Ukraine’s Come Back Alive Foundation, which provides defensive equipment and training to the country’s military. Aiding the Ukrainian army is a criminal offense in Russia, and the developer did not make this clear when soliciting