The Ukrainian studio GSC Game World received a commemorative plaque from the BAFTA Games Awards in honor of the nomination for *S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl*. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. team shared a photo on social media, calling it “yet another rare artifact.”
As a reminder, in March 2026, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl by GSC Game World was nominated for a BAFTA Games Award in the Game Beyond Entertainment 2026 category. This category recognizes games that have a significant social or cultural impact.
BAFTA ( British Academy of Film and Television Arts) is an independent charitable organization that supports the development of film, television, and interactive arts. Every year, the academy honors the best works in these fields, and its award is considered one of the most prestigious in the global industry.
This isn’t the first time S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has received international recognition. In late 2025, the game received the Best Technology Award at the Central & Eastern European Game Awards— one of the most prestigious awards for video game developers in Central and Eastern Europe.
In addition, last month S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 received yet another major accolade thanks to a mine safety campaign created in collaboration with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. During the Ukrainian Creative Stories 2026 festival, the project won 28 awards, becoming the most awarded work of the season. Out of 51 submissions, the game made the shortlist 40 times—a feat no other Ukrainian project achieved this season.
GSC Game World is a Ukrainian game development studio founded in 1995 in Kyiv. The studio is currently owned by entrepreneur Maxim Krippa. The team continues to develop its flagship project—S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. This summer, the game will receive a major expansion titled Cost of Hope.
The studio describes the DLC as a major expansion that will take dozens of hours to complete. Players will also be able to explore two new locations—the Iron Forest and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. As in the main game, the expansion’s storyline will remain non-linear: the player’s decisions will influence the course of events and the story’s ending. Because of this, it will be impossible to complete all the content in a single playthrough.