S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 developer dealing with fallout after employee's account is hacked

The developer of the long-delayed post-apocalyptic RPG sequel S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now dealing with a new hacking threat. GSC Game World posted a message on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R Twitter account stating that one of its employee's accounts had been hacked by what it claims is a "community from a Russian social network".

The Ukrainian-based developers stated:

This is not the first attempt to hack and leak our data, including personal information. We have been enduring constant cyberattacks for more than a year now. We have faced blackmail, acts of aggression, hacks, attempts to hurt players and fans, and efforts to damage the development process or the reputation of our company.

The developer has urged its fans not to redistribute any leaks from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 as it may contain older content that will not be representative of the final game. It also expressed "our deepest appreciation" for the game's fans and community. It added:

Our mission is to commit all of our strength and passion to complete the project and deliver it to you, despite all the obstacles on the way. Your support is our inspiration. Glory to Ukraine.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has been in development for several years. The Unreal Engine 5-based game actually halted development in March 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but it began again a few months later. In late December 2022, a new gameplay trailer was released. At the moment, it's currently due for release sometime in 2023 for Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S game consoles and the PC. It will also be released day and date on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.