“STALKER 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl” is an action-packed online game for Home windows, which sees gamers pitted towards violent mutants and grasping thugs towards a backdrop of the exclusion zone across the Chernobyl nuclear plant.
The primary-person shooter recreation, developed by Ukraine-based GSC Recreation World, is hotly anticipated by followers of its prequel “STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl,” however isn’t scheduled to be launched till December 2023.
A part of that delay could also be right down to the truth that a few of GSC Recreation World’s improvement group are in any other case occupied – serving to struggle Russian invaders in real-life.
Signal as much as our e-newsletterHowever the struggle between GSC Recreation World’s workers and Russia can be happening digitally.
On Sunday, the makers of the STALKER video games revealed {that a} hacker has leaked improvement materials stolen from the corporate’s techniques, and is threatening to launch tens of gigabytes extra if ransom calls for aren’t met.
Just lately, our worker’s account for a collective work-with-images software was hacked. The duty for this was claimed by a neighborhood from a Russian social community. They’re threatening to make use of the obtained knowledge for blackmail and intimidation. This isn’t the primary try to hack and leak our knowledge, together with private info. We have now been enduring fixed cyberattacks for greater than a 12 months now. We have now confronted blackmail, acts of aggression, hacks, makes an attempt to harm gamers and followers, and efforts to break the event course of or the fame of our firm.
We’re a Ukrainian firm, and like most Ukrainians, we’ve got skilled many issues which might be far more terrifying: Destroyed homes, ruined lives, and the deaths of our family members. Makes an attempt to blackmail or intimidate us are fully futile.
Our unwavering dedication to supporting our nation stays unchanged – we’ll proceed to do the whole lot potential to assist ukraine. And this gained’t change sooner or later beneath any circumstances.
Regardless of the makes an attempt to interrupt us, we stay robust and brave. As a result of once you imagine in one thing and find it irresistible with all of your coronary heart, it’s important to defend it in any respect prices.
We have now been by quite a bit. Nevertheless, these challenges solely encourage us to work even tougher as a result of we imagine that the reality is on our aspect. Evil won’t ever win.
Within the occasion of any leaks. We ask that you simply chorus from watching or distributing details about S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl. Outdated and work-in-progress supplies could dilute the impression of the ultimate concept that we’ve got put into the sport. We encourage you to remain affected person and look forward to the official launch for the perfect expertise potential. We imagine that you’ll find it irresistible.
We’d like to specific our deepest appreciation for our loyal neighborhood. We’re overwhelmed by the response and assist we’ve got obtained from you. Thanks for that. From every member of the gsc recreation world group.
Our mission is to commit all of our energy and fervour to finish the challenge and ship it to you, regardless of all of the obstacles on the way in which. Your assist is our inspiration.
Glory to Ukraine.
Sincerely,
The GSC Recreation World group
And what are the hacker’s calls for?
Oddly sufficient, the hacker doesn’t need cash.
In a submit on the Russian social media web site VK (also called VKontakte, successfully the Russian model of Fb), a press release was posted demanding that the sport have Russian voice appearing reinstated (it was eliminated following the invasion of Ukraine), apologise to gamers based mostly in Russia and Belarus, and unban an acount on the sport’s Discord channel.
The hacker claims to have of their possession the complete storyline of STALKER 2, descriptions of cutscenes, idea artwork, international maps, and extra.
What they’ve completed by hacking into GSC Recreation World’s computer systems is clearly unlawful, however they’re additionally clearly fairly a fan of the video games:
“Don’t let STALKER die due to your politicization – stagnation is already felt very critically, which suggests it’s time to construct relationships with the neighborhood.”
The hacker says that GSC Recreation World has till tomorrow, Wednesday 15 March, to answer their calls for.
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