GSC Game World, the mastermind behind the highly anticipated S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, has faced a blazing hurdle – well, another one, on top of the unjustifiable imperialist invasion of their country, that is. A fire, as unpredictable and wild as the anomalies in its game, ravaged a floor of its office. Fortunately, it didn’t turn out to be a tale of despair.
The fire, as reported by Vortex and translated by Twitter user @HazzadorGamin, wreaked havoc on one of the developer’s office floors, resulting in damage worth an incredible 1.5 million crowns. While this might seem like a concerning figure, when you translate it into US currency, it equates to approximately $75,000, which, given the situation, isn’t all that dire.
If rumors are to be believed, the fire danced dangerously close to the backup servers for the game. But before you jump to conclusions, we’re still in the dark on whether any game data was lost to the flames. For a bit of heartening news amidst the smoke – no one was hurt, which is what matters more.
A developer from GSC Game World took to Discord, stating, “It is true. Fortunately, none of the employees or office staff were injured in the accident.” Moreover, in a tone that screams resilience, they added, “No anomaly, not even a ‘Burner’ will make us stop in our pursuit of our final goal. We’ve dealt with worse than that before. This is fine.”
Hear! Hear! We would expect nothing less from this courageous team of developers. GSC Game World isn’t new to misfortunes. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a significant chunk of the team relocated to Prague. Yet, some remained in Ukraine, working amidst the chaos, their lives upended by the conflict, but their dedication unwavering.
So, what does this mean for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl? As it stands, the sequel to 2009’s Call of Pripyat is still set to launch in early 2024. While the fire might seem like a setback, if the past is any indication, GSC Game World isn’t one to back down. It has already faced war, displacement, and now a fire. However as it’s shown time and again, it rises, stronger and more determined.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be released for the Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam, once it’s done completely redefining what “development hell” means.
