GSC Game World, a Ukrainian video game developer, has recently changed the title of their upcoming first-person shooter horror survival game, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, scheduled to release December 8th, 2022 on Xbox and PC. Originally, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 contained the subtitle “Heart of Chernobyl”; however, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, GSC Game World has changed the subtitle to “Heart of Chornobyl”. According to Kotaku, GSC Game World representative stated the name change is to reflect ” ‘proper Ukrainian writing’ of ‘Chornobyl’ and are ‘consequences of the Russian invasion’ of Ukraine.” While Steam has already updated the name, Xbox has not as of yet.
Alongside the name change, GSC Game World is also not allowing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl to be sold in Russia nor its ally, Belarus. This move reflects other companies who have also suspended their business practices within Russia after Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister, tweeted, “You are definitely aware of what is happening in Ukraine right now. Russia declare war not for Ukraine but for all civilized world. If you support human values, you should live the Russian market!” Following the tweet, some major publishers halted Russian sales in support of Ukraine, like Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Projekt Red.
In similar fashion, GSC Game World tweeted on Feb. 24, 2022, the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, “As of today, the Russian Federation has officially declared war on Ukraine. Our country woke up with the sounds of explosions and weapons fire, but is ready to defend its freedom and independence, for it remains strong and ready for anything.” Within the tweet, GSC Game World called upon other companies in the video game industry to, “Share this, do not stand aside and help those in need.”