'Subconsciously, we were all ready to die': Stalker 2 developers secretly prepared for Russia's invasion

GamesStalker 2’Subconsciously, we were all ready to die': Stalker 2 developers secretly prepared for Russia’s invasionWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: GSC Game World)

Stalker 2 trailer still

“Subconsciously, we were all ready to die,” says a GSC dev named Alina ina new documentary, called War Game, put out to mark the game’s tumultuous path to release on November 20 this year. In a section detailing devs' experiences of the day Russian troops rolled over Ukraine’s border, we see shots of Ukrainians flooding into basements as missiles rained down from overhead. “I remember the alarm we heard in Kyiv,” recalls another dev, “It was quite a scary feeling. The creepiest thing was knowing that your life would depend on this sound.”

But the doc also details the myriad ways in which the invasion impacted GSC even before it happened. As early as December 2021, certain company execs were thinking about plans for evacuation, mapping out routes into the west of the country and out of Kyiv in the event that Russia actually followed through on its apparent ambition to conquer Ukraine.

“I thought that Putin wouldn’t want to start a war with NATO,” says GSC’s Mariia Grygorovych. “Which meant there shouldn’t be missiles [landing] within 50km of a NATO border.” Secretly, so as not to panic staff, Grygorovych and other high-ranking GSC staff began formulating plans to move everyone to Uzhhorod—right on the Ukraine-Slovakian border—in the event war broke out. “We booked buses back in January that were parked outside the offices 24/7,” recalls Grygorovych. “Initially, we didn’t tell the team about these buses. Because we didn’t want to scare people.”

The studio eventually made use of those buses on February 20, just days before the invasion began, moving over 180 devs (though over a hundred refused to leave Kyiv regardless of the risk of war) westwards. Four days later, Russian troops rolled in, kicking off a long process of rebuilding for GSC in Prague, also detailed in the doc.

“We had to rearrange everything from scratch,” says Grygorovych, including recasting actors who had gone to fight the invasion. “The game, for us, is now an element of resistance.”

You can find the full documentary on theXboxandGSCYouTube channels.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

More about gamesWe may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funnyDeus Ex: Mankind Divided writer didn’t like the ending either: ‘Nothing is resolved’LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10See more latest►

More about games

We may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funnyDeus Ex: Mankind Divided writer didn’t like the ending either: ‘Nothing is resolved’

Path of Exile 2 showing the Warbringer ascendancy class bludgeoning his way through a pack of hyenas

We may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funny

Adam Jensen with his head in his hands.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided writer didn’t like the ending either: ‘Nothing is resolved’

LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10See more latest►

Latest

Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

Today’s Wordle being played on a phone

Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

See more latest►

Most PopularTrack down a missing person in this ‘Geoguessr-inspired detective game’ set on an alien planetOld meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skillHyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of DrifterFallout season 2 filming delayed due to massive LA firesAssassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’The Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing process’I created it, let me move on’: Ex-Cloud 9 player, the Overwatch team whose blunder inspired the infamous ‘C9’ slang, watches in horror as the term moves onto Marvel RivalsLenovo’s rollable laptop screen isn’t just a CES party trick—you’ll be able to pick one up yourself in JuneNvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummetAfter 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my listIf you love a big laptop without a big price tag, this RTX 4070 17.3-incher is an ideal pick at $1,300

Most Popular

Track down a missing person in this ‘Geoguessr-inspired detective game’ set on an alien planet

Old meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skill

Hyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of Drifter

Fallout season 2 filming delayed due to massive LA fires

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’

The Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing process

‘I created it, let me move on’: Ex-Cloud 9 player, the Overwatch team whose blunder inspired the infamous ‘C9’ slang, watches in horror as the term moves onto Marvel Rivals

Lenovo’s rollable laptop screen isn’t just a CES party trick—you’ll be able to pick one up yourself in June

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummet

After 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my list

If you love a big laptop without a big price tag, this RTX 4070 17.3-incher is an ideal pick at $1,300

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals