On November 20, 2024, a historic event for the Ukrainian gaming industry took place — the release of the long-awaited game “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl”. This game from the Ukrainian studio GSC Game World instantly topped the sales charts on Steam, becoming the most popular game in the world, writes WomanEL.
ContentReaction of Russians Discussions of Russian media Game “sabotage” Ukrainian breakthrough
Ukrainian developers have created an atmosphere that has won the hearts of millions of players. The game uses authentic Ukrainian language, folk music, and everyday realities, which give the game a unique flavor. But one key point has caused the most discussion – the lack of Russian voice acting.
Russians' reaction
The game's Russian fan base has always been significant. However, after GSC Game World withdrew from the Russian market due to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, purchasing the game has become difficult. Russians are forced to use VPNs, change regions on Steam, and overcome other obstacles to play their beloved “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.”.
@bratishkinoffcuts
#Twitch #bratishkinoff #stalker #stalker2 #89sqd #89
♬ original sound – BratishkinoffCuts
The main challenge for Russian players is the lack of Russian localization. The Ukrainian language of the game has become a real test for them. Videos are spreading on social networks in which Russians try to understand Ukrainian texts, make mistakes in translations, or comment on “incomprehensible” words with characteristic emotional reactions. Ukrainian TV presenter Natalia Kholodenko showed funny clips from these game “sufferings”, which quickly became memes. In the video, Russians react emotionally and sharply to incomprehensible expressions or tasks.
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Remove the Russian language… Even in Ukraine itself, not everyone knows Ukrainian. It's on the level of, as if to say, freezing your mother's ears. They know it on the level of Ubermarginal, who also became a Ukrainian streamer and now reads donat in Ukrainian. I don't know, no offense, but it always seemed to me that this language is similar to some kind of village conversation,
said Russian football player Ilya Maddison.
Russian media discussions
Despite the outrage of gamers, Russian media has been largely silent about the game. The largest gaming platforms, such as iXBT, have issued several sharply negative reviews, accusing the developers of “politicizing” the project. The Goha.ru channel directly urged against buying the game, stating that it “sponsors the military actions of Ukraine.” It should be noted that the lack of localization did not prevent a significant number of Russians from playing the game. Many did so through piracy.
@gradetskyi
Music from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2 #stalker2 #twitch #twitch #Jesus #rivers #bratishkinoff
♬ original sound – gradetskyl – gradetskyl
How the Ukrainian game “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” conquers the world and annoys the Russian media. Source: Screenshot
At the same time, bloggers who still decide to review the game try to justify its popularity by accusing the developers of “Russophobia” or even supporting “terrorism.” For example, streamer Ilya Madison joked about the Ukrainian language and behaved provocatively in the game. For this he was banned on Twitch.
@itoxicukr
Russians are learning Ukrainian in STALKER 2 #stalker2 #russiansarelearning #ukrainianinSTALKER2 #lenininvented #complexlanguage
♬ original sound – ToxicUKR
Game “sabotage”
Due to the game's official unavailability in the Russian Federation and the support of GSC Game World by the Ukrainian military, Russian deputies are seriously discussing the possibility of banning “Stalker” and even punishing those who buy the game unofficially. Blogs are full of paranoid theories: can players be convicted for buying it? Will they have time to delete the game if the police come to them?
Some commentators go even further, calling the purchase of “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” “high treason.” Meanwhile, others, less aggressive, admit that playing “Stalker” in Ukrainian is almost a political act in the Russian Federation.
How the Ukrainian game “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” conquers the world and annoys Russian media. Source: Screenshot
@itoxicukr
Russians are learning Ukrainian in STALKER2 #stalker2 #russianlearning #ukrainianinSTALKER2 #brother #howto
♬ original sound – ToxicUKR
Ukrainian breakthrough
The popularity of “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” is an important cultural phenomenon. The game not only promotes the Ukrainian language and culture, but also shows how much art can influence consciousness. Russian players, even in conditions of fear or political risks, still go to buy and play the creations of Ukrainian developers. And no matter how much the Russian media tries to hide or distort it, the success of the game speaks for itself.
Recently, Chanel used the Ukrainian Shchedryk in a new Christmas commercial with Vittoria Cerreti.
