Ukraine urges gamers not to enter Chernobyl exclusion zone as Stalker 2 released
Popular first-person shooter is set in a fictitious version of the restricted surroundings of Chernobyl’s nuclear plant
Ukraine border guards on Thursday urged fans of a horror video game not to illegally enter the Chernobyl exclusion zone, saying dozens of people had been caught trespassing in the tightly controlled territory.
The popular first-person shooter Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl is set in a fictitious version of the restricted surroundings of the nuclear plant, which suffered a catastrophic meltdown in 1986.
The warning came a day after the release of Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, a long-awaited sequel to the game developed by Ukrainian studio GSC.
The game sees players, or “stalkers”, navigate a post-apocalyptic exclusion zone around the plant filled with mutants and humanoid monsters.
The release proved so popular that the rush to download it triggered a “temporary decrease in internet speeds” across Ukraine, the digital transformation ministry said, with total data use up by “at least 35 per cent” compared with a normal day.