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Booting up the long-awaited Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl while in Russia when the game launches on the 20th of November could be set to land you in a whole lot of trouble.
A report on VGC quotes a Russian Government official who says that a Stalker 2 ban is being considered on the game as it could “justify terrorism”.
Quite how and why is less clear, other than the fact the game is being made by Kyiv studio GSC Game World and the Russians are currently in the middle of a “special military operation” against Ukraine.
Stalker 2 already will not be sold in Russia, but it can currently be pre-purchased and ordered on digital storefronts such as Steam and a VPN is possible.
State Duma Deputy Anton Gorelki told Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti that if the game is considered to have extremist or anti-Russian sentiment, then tough measures could be taken as the game would be considered to “justify terrorism”.
RIA Novosti quoted Gorelki as saying, “If illegal information is found in the game (extremism, justification of terrorism, incitement to ethnic hatred, and so on), then severe measures will be taken for its dissemination, and violators will be held accountable.”
Even more chillingly legal advisor Mikhail Mushailev has since warned that buying the game and playing it via VPN could be interpreted as financially supporting a “hostile force” something which Russian law defines as terrorism.
Stalker 2’s support of Ukraine’s armed forces was always likely to get it in hot water in Russia but the threat of simply playing it potentially leading to serious sanctions will not be lost on many potential gamers who have already had to wait an extra two years for the game’s release. Originally due to release in 2022, the studio decided to relocate to the Czech Republic to complete the project when Russia invaded Ukraine in February of that year.
