Many game companies have rallied to show support for Ukraine, releasing special DLC or game bundles whose proceeds support assistance efforts in the besieged country. But opposition to the war has come in the form of more subtle protests as well. For example, in March, GSC changed the title of its upcoming game from STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl, the more familiar Russian spelling, to Heart of Chornobyl, which reflects the Ukrainian spelling.

RELATED: STALKER 2 Resumes Development

Not everybody sees the situation in Ukraine from the same point of view, however. Recently, a Russian streamer going by the names “Nevazhno, Kto” and “Velichaishii” leaked footage of an apparent console port of the original STALKER, which will supposedly release right before STALKER 2 in 2023. Along with the leaked footage, Velichaishii wrote a five-page manifesto of sorts in which he declared that GSC has betrayed its Russian fans.

According to the Russian content creator, his actions are retaliation for alleged offenses committed by the Ukrainian developer. Foremost among his complaints is the fact that GSC encouraged gamers, including Russians, to donate to Ukraine’s Come Back Alive Foundation, which provides defensive equipment and training to the country’s military. Aiding the Ukrainian army is a criminal offense in Russia, and the developer did not make this clear when soliciting donations from fans, claims Velichaishii. The streamer also states that GSC has discriminated against Russians on its Discord server.

PC Gamer reached out to both GSC Game World and Velichaishii for comments on the situation. The developer pointed out that it is only one of thousands of Ukrainian companies to ask for donations to aid the country, and it also later clarified the potential legal implications for Russians who give to the foundation.

As for the provenance of the leaked STALKER footage, Velichaishii implied in his manifesto that it had come from GSC employees who were disgruntled with how the company was treating its Russian player base. The developer denied this possibility, stating that a group of Russian bloggers had been sharing information about GSC, including employee details and apparently this leaked console port video.

Oddly, Velichaishii did not seem to take offense at the STALKER developers fighting in Ukraine as part of the country’s Armed Forces. In June, GSC Game World released a video that showed some employees in military gear as they prepared for their new roles as soldiers. Whether the leaked STALKER footage is real or fabricated, it is likely the least of the developer’s worries at the moment.

STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl is currently available on PC.

MORE: STALKER 2: What is a Stalker?

Source: PC Gamer