I would normally be very excited about this... but since the Cossacks 3 debacle, I'm skeptical of anything related to GSC Game World. They're not the same company they were when the first Stalkers were created, sadly...

Right, had already forgotten about the Galaxy-exclusive items nuisance.

In regards to VtMB 2 - as mentioned, with Gamescom and the inhouse PDXCON there are still opportunities for publishing an update left.

In compliance with international rules (UNCSGN & UNGEGN), the transliteration of names of settlements is made only from the country state language, where the object is located.

Chornobyl (Чорнобиль – Ukr.) – ancient Ukrainian town, first mentioned in chronicles in 1193.

Accordingly, the only correct transliteration from Ukrainian state language - Chornobyl

So we're gonna call Germany Deutschland now?

Considering the Russian army's apparent lack of care for and ensuring/looking-after the well-being of its soldiers once they're deployed and in the field I'd say it will be only in a couple years when they're diagnosed with cancer that they realise digging trenches in the Red Forest was a really, really stupid thing to do.

According to a report of The Telegraph, "one Russian soldier died from acute radiation sickness after being camped in the Red Forest for a prolonged time."

Nur wenn du möchtest.

Chornobyl, "black stalk".

Chorny/chjorny. Diacritic-dropping transliteration from Russian looks like "Cherny" with an Ë [the double dot usually omitted], but the pronunciation is "Chjorny" with an O (and previous letter palatalized).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl#Etymology

Much of the world does! And there might be something to be said for that. But that's different than replacing the [imperialist/empire] Russian-sourced transliteration with the [place that actually named it and lives there] Ukrainian-sourced transliteration. Or just the bad transliteration (based on visual appearance of the letter used rather than the sound equivalent).

"Playable on December 31, 2023"? Will the world as we know it even still exist by then?

Frankly with the devs openly calling for people to come and die to defend their country to get the game finished, and then the name changing to comply with the new party line standard. I think I'll stay away for a while.

Mind blown to see this come here gonna have to get this when it comes out, but the question is, Is this not a Microsoft store exclusive? and we just got very lucky for this to come here?

Awesome to see this here.

Getting that Ultimate Edition as soon as the next pay period on my credit card starts

If you don't know about it yet, try STALKER: Anomaly.

Really good standalone mod with countless addons for the first 3 games.
Best STALKER experience right now.

"I have learned two things in the past four years. One, shut up and make your game, and two, shut up and make your game."
- Tom Hall, 2000

The perfidious Swiss man who tells you that it's bad to defend your own country from invaders. You guys still living off that Nazi gold?

WOW! Thank you GoG! Thank you GSC Gamme World!

All the best

phil