STALKER 2 – Heart of Chornobyl. Photo source: Christoph Hardt / imago stock&people / Profimedia
Russian prosecutors have designated GSC Game World, the Ukrainian studio behind the popular STALKER video game franchise, as an “undesirable” organization for allegedly financing the Ukrainian military, independent Russian publication The Moscow Times reports from exile.
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office accused the Kiev-based company's management of transferring about $17 million to a Ukrainian military aid fund in 2022, saying the money was used to purchase drones, vehicles and other wartime equipment.
Prosecutors also claimed that the company contributed to the presentation of Russia as an “aggressor state”. In a statement, the prosecutor's office alleged that a GSC game released in 2024 promoted “Ukrainian narratives” and contained “aggressive Russophobic content.”
These allegations appear to relate to STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the fourth installment in GSC's popular survival game franchise, released last November.
Under Russian law, anyone who works for or participates in an organization declared “undesirable” can be sentenced to up to four years in prison, and its leaders can receive sentences of up to six years.
Russia introduced the law on “undesirable” organizations in 2015 and has since used it to crack down on independent media, opposition groups and foreign NGOs. Hundreds of organizations, including The Moscow Times, have been added to this Moscow blacklist.
