The game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was developed by a studio located in Ukraine. Therefore, acquiring the game will indirectly support a country still at war with Russia.
In production for many years, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is finally getting ready to be released on Xbox consoles and PC. The game has seen lively development, especially because of the war in Ukraine. Thus, the GSC Game World studio was based in kyiv for a long time before being forced to move to the Czech Republic. The company even had to deplore the disappearance of one of its employeesVolodymyr Yezhov, engaged and died at the front. She was also hacked.
Therefore, purchase Stalker 2 amounts to indirectly supporting Ukraine, which the Russian government has understood. As reported Game cult in an article published on November 15, citing the government press agency, Russia will condemn obtaining the game on its lands, knowing that GSC Game World no longer sells its products there (there are many devious ways to obtain them , like VPNs or importing).
Stalker 2, or the commercial launch imbroglio
« I think Stalker 2 officially has every chance of being banned in Russia », Confided MP Anton Gorelkin. Criminal measures could be taken against those who try to obtain it, if it turns out that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl carries illegal messages — such as “ extremism, advocacy of terrorism, incitement to ethnic hatred, etc. » And Anton Gorelkin reminds us that Western publishers are not ranked behind Ukraine, when Russian studios are blocked in their domestic country. In short, the launch of the game is marred by a political conflict which, of course, will harm Russian players.
Of course, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is not censored in France and you can acquire it without any problem. It will even be available in Xbox Game Pass from the day of its launch, scheduled for November 20, 2024.
However, if you want to support Ukraine further, there are distribution platforms to choose from. We think of the Microsoft Store, as recalled Xbox News for Korea page X (ex-Twitter) on November 18th. There is also the Epic Games Store as an alternative, keeping in mind that the price of the game is the same everywhere: €59.99.
Why purchase S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on the Microsoft Store rather than Steam, for example? For a question of taxes. Valve takes between 20 and 30% of the revenue generated (the higher they are, the lower the tax), compared to 12% for the Microsoft Store (since August 2021) and l’Epic Games Store. This means that GSC Game World will receive more money from you if you do not purchase the game on Steam. A great way to express your support for a society that has suffered greatly.
Source: www.numerama.com
