GSC Game World is preparing for the highly anticipated STALKER 2 release, but a group of Russian hackers threatens them to release gigabytes of game material if they do not meet their demands.

STALKER 2 is one of the most awaited titles in 2023, especially among the first-person shooter fans. STALKER 2 has been under development for more than a decade, mainly due to financial constraints in the first years. After the game was finally announced in 2018, the Ukrainian studio faced further problems during development, partly due to the coronavirus pandemic, but most recently due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war. Despite the devastating effects of the Russian invasion, the STALKER 2 team continued development work. Reports also surfaced about how some developers finished the game in the middle of the war, while some STALKER 2 developers fought to fend off the Russian forces.

The game is scheduled for 2023, so GSC Game World faces another challenge. A group of Russian hackers called “Vestnik TSS” detailed their demands from STALKER 2 developers in a recent post on the VK social media site. The post includes some images and artwork that are allegedly from the game, and the hackers also threaten to release “ten gigabytes” of unreleased game material if the demands are not met.

The hackers demand that GSC Game World change its attitude towards players from Russia and Belarus and “apologize for their unworthy attitude towards ordinary players from these countries”. The demands also specify bringing back RU-localization to the game as well as lifting the ban on the “NF Star” profile on the game studio’s discord channel. The post also mentions that the group expects GSC to change its policy by March 15 “towards relevance and acceptance of its own fans wherever they are”. In return, Vestnik TSS administration promised not to publish plot spoilers for STALKER 2 yet.