The Making of STALKER 2: A Captivating Tale of Art and Conflict

I’d anticipated that “War Game: The Making of STALKER 2,” a video released by GSC Game World in October 2024 a month before the game’s launch, would be a lengthy advertisement, detailing the game’s design and features while proudly highlighting its achievements. Surprisingly, “War Game” delivers a poignant historical narrative and an emotionally resonant documentary experience.

The original STALKER game, a survival horror title developed by GSC Game World out of Ukraine, debuted in 2007, garnering moderately positive feedback and paving the way for a series of prequels and spin-offs that eventually sold over 15 million copies. Fast forward eleven years to 2018, and news broke about the official sequel, initially slated for a 2021 release. However, delays pushed this to December 2022. Then, the unfortunate August 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia rendered that timeline untenable.

This documentary provides a detailed look into how GSC Game World coped with the challenges as Kyiv nearly came under siege, where the availability of basic resources like electricity and heat became unreliable, and the threat of bombings was an ever-present danger.

At a point eight months following the onset of hostilities, GSC Game World made headlines by announcing that STALKER 2 would not be sold in Russia, nor would it offer a Russian localization. This move sparked backlash from a segment of the fanbase that insisted on keeping “games out of politics,” a sentiment prominently highlighted in one of the tweets featured in the documentary.

Arguably, the notion of “keeping politics out” has always represented a narrow viewpoint, one that doesn’t fully grasp the role of art and narrative. It also misinterprets the essence of STALKER and GSC’s stance. The story behind STALKER 2 transcends the game itself, reflecting the period and circumstances of its development, its very context.

Discussing the STALKER series necessitates engaging with themes of Ukrainian identity and the Chernobyl disaster, both inextricably linked to the legacy of the Soviet Union. For GSC, these are not just “political” themes—they are integral aspects of life and history.

“War Game” delves into this historical backdrop extensively. Some GSC staff featured in the documentary have personal connections to the Chernobyl disaster, an event less than 40 years past. Several witnessed life under Soviet control, during which Ukrainian linguistic and cultural identity faced repression.

Amidst the creation of STALKER 2, Russia launched an attack on their homeland.

Creating a game under the shadow of foreign invasion begs the question: how? According to Executive Producer and Creative Director Mariia Grygorovych, it involved prioritizing people. This meant organizing charter buses and evacuation routes, aiming to relocate as close as possible to NATO boundaries, eventually transitioning to the Czech Republic.

Just over half the team, including their families, left Kyiv. Others decided to stay, and some even joined the military, notably continuing to receive their salaries from GSC Game World during their service. The documentary captures a poignant moment—a developer in Kyiv opens a window, and air raid sirens wail in the background. Meanwhile, GSC’s studios became shelters from the bombardments.

Now that STALKER 2 has launched, it shows some imperfections (though, personally, I found it runs significantly smoother on consoles compared to PCs). However, the very fact of its existence is a triumph—a celebration of identity, culture, history, and the so-called “politics” that shaped its journey. Rather than serving as a marketing piece, “War Game” stands as a defiant gesture in the face of adversities—a global pandemic and a war—that threatened to derail the developers’ vision. It’s a historical film detailing past influences that resound through present events. Whether or not you plan to dive into STALKER 2, “War Game” is an insightful watch for video game enthusiasts and those interested in gaming culture.