Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is reportedly being targeted by a Russian disinformation campaign falsely claiming the post-apocalyptic shooter scans players’ computers in order to help the Ukranian government “locate citizens suitable for mobilisation”.
As reported by 404 Media, the claims have been made in a one-minute video – stamped with a fake Wired watermark, but in reality unconnected to the publication – that’s being circulated on social media sites including Telegram and sent directly to journalists’ inboxes.
The video falsely asserts “an embedded program was discovered in [Stalker 2]’s code that collects player data and transmits it to [developer GSC Game World]’s servers”. It’s claimed this data – said to include the device name, IP address, and the current location of the player – is “transmitted every second” without the user’s knowledge and handed to the Ukranian government, because GSC “made a deal with the state” in order to secure funding for Stalker 2. “It’s better to play using a VPN or boycott this game for your own safety”, the video concludes.
404 Media says the video bears the hallmarks of an ongoing Russian disinformation campaign, previously dubbed Operation Matryoshka, intended to flood social media and journalists’ inboxes with “false stories that usually paint NATO countries and Ukraine in a bad light, waste reporters’ time, and make people distrust news outlets more broadly.” Eurogamer has contacted GSC for comment on the video currently being circulated.
As to why Stalker 2 is now being targeted by a disinformation campaign, that’s likely down to the game having become something a symbol of Ukranian resilience during Russian’s invasion of the country (development has continued throughout the Russian bombardment, with some developers remaining in Kyiv while others have relocated to Prague), coupled with its recent high-profile – and enormously successful – launch across Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Stalker 2’s website was previously blocked by the Russian government after GSC posted a message calling for an end to its brutal invasion of Ukraine, and the studio has also been targeted by Russian hackers who stole Stalker 2 development material and threatened it with blackmail. “We are a Ukrainian company,” GSC wrote at the time, “and like most Ukrainians, we have experienced many things that are much more terrifying: destroyed houses, ruined lives, and the deaths of our loved ones. Attempts to blackmail or intimidate us are completely futile”.
Stalker 2 received a solid critical reception when it launched last week, despite its significant technical issues – Eurogamer called it a “compelling and often busted survival shooter that frustrates and satisfies at alternating pitch” in our three star review. Since then, GSC has pledged to fix the game’s “rough edges”, starting with a patch addressing over 650 issues.
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