S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Developer Asks Fans to Donate to Ukraine Military

GSC Game World, the Ukraine-based developer of the forthcoming S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, is asking people to donate to the armed forces of Ukraine. It pushed the message out on Twitter and Facebook, and as an update on Steam.

“As of today, the Russian Federation has officially declared war on Ukraine,” GSC Game World said in a tweet. “Our country woke up with the sounds of explosions and weapons fire, but it is ready to defend its freedom and independence, for it remains strong and ready for anything. The future is unknown, but we hope for the best, are ever sure of our armed forces and our belief in Ukraine.”

GSC Game World then made a direct appeal to everyone playing games and working in the industry and shared a bank account routing number and said it would help fund Ukraine’s military. “Through pain, death, war, fear and inhuman cruelty, Ukraine will persevere. As it always does.”

The routing number goes to a bank account set up by the National Bank of Ukraine on Feb. 24 for the purposes of directly funding the Ukrainian military during the invasion. “The central bank’s decision comes after the Ukrainian government imposed martial law throughout Ukraine in response to armed aggression by Russia and the renewed threat to Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity,” the NBU said when it announced the opening of the account.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2007 cult classic S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. Both games are set in and around a fictional version of the irradiated exclusion zone around the destroyed nuclear power plant in Chernobyl near the city of Pripyat in the north of Ukraine. It was set to release on Dec. 8 this year, but that was before Russia invaded the country where it’s being developed.

GSC Game World has been mostly silent about Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine and declined to speak to Axios when it reached out to ask about its plans earlier this month. Ukraine is home to several video game companies, including 4A Games, the developers of the Metro series, a first person shooter set in a post apocalyptic world ravaged by nuclear war.

“I believe everything will be fine,” Andrew Prokhorov, 4As owner, told Polygon last week. “Our army is ready, [our] nation is ready, and if [a] sick old man [does decide] to invade they will be kicked out. Especially with the help of a lot of dangerous toys we have received from [the] USA and other Western countries. [...] Our Javelins, [and] Stingers, [are] greased, prepared, and waiting for metal food.”