Summary
As the release date forSTALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylcomes closer, the Russian government has warned players in Russian territory that the game might be banned if it contains anti-Russian sentiments or justifies terrorism.STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylhas been delayed for roughly two years due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as the developer, GSC Game World, was based in Kyiv at the time.
Luckily, despite the overwhelming odds, GSC Game World has managed to keep working on the game, andSTALKER 2has recently gone gold, making fans of the franchise very happy and excited to see what comes next. However, with the recent news released by the Russian government, the celebration might have to wait for some players.
As reported byVGC, in a recent interview with Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, State Duma Deputy Anton Gorelki said that several strict measures could be implemented if the game justifies terrorism, features anti-Russian sentiment, or makes the government appear extremist. Among the potential measures discussed, there’s a complete ban on the title in Russian territory, which is bad news for the country’s inhabitants who are excited about the game, especially afterSTALKER 2showed off its stunning open worldearlier this year.
Russian Government Could Ban STALKER 2 in Russian Territory
The possibility of a complete ban on the game in Russian territory is undeniably bad news for anyone within the country, especially due to the potential legal consequences involved. Legal advisor Mikhail Mushailev recently said that, in the case of a complete ban, Russians who buy the game through a VPN or similar means could be deemed as supporters of hostile forces. This, along with the fact that GSC Game World recently stated that theXbox Series S was struggling to maintain a locked 30 FPS inSTALKER 2, might greatly impact sales upon launch.
Luckily, not everything’s bad news, as it was recently confirmed thatSTALKER 2will support mods on both PC and Xbox systems, which is very exciting and opens a whole world of possibilities for players. The hype around the game is tangible, and many longtime fans of the franchise are very excited about getting their hands on the game on November 20.
WithSTALKER 2pre-loading now available, many players are already downloading the whopping 147.6 GB file to get ahead and play the game without having to wait for hours upon its release. Whether the Russian government will find this title’s content worthy of banning and how it will affect its sales remains to be seen.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Chornobyl Exclusion Zone has changed dramatically after the second massive explosion in year 2006. Violent mutants, deadly anomalies, warring factions have made the Zone a very tough place to survive. Nevertheless, artifacts of unbelievable value attracted many people called S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, who entered the Zone for their own risk striving to make a fortune out of it or even to find the Truth concealed in the Heart of Chornobyl.EPIC NONLINEAR STORY IN SEAMLESS OPEN WORLDTake over a role of the lone stalker and explore photorealistic seamless open world in a 64-km² radioactive zone with a variety of environments that reveal post-apocalyptic atmosphere from different angles. Make your way through the Zone to define your destiny as you choose your paths within highly branching epic story.VARIETY OF ENEMIES AND HUNDREDS OF WEAPON COMBINATIONSMeet members of different factions deciding who of them worth your friendship and who deserve a bullet. Engage intense gunfights with a variety of enemies that follow different tactics trying to outsmart you. Choose your preferable firearms from 30+ types of weapons with numerous modifications that allow creating hundreds of distinctive lethal combinations.
