Stalker 2 wins PC Gaming Show’s Most Wanted award – director thanks fans for their ‘unbreakable trust’

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been voted as the number-one most-wanted game by the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted council. 

During the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted event yesterday (November 30), the top 25 most highly anticipated PC games – voted for by 70 members of the council (composed of individuals in the games industry, content creators, and journalists, including TechRadar Gaming’s editor in chief, Jake Tucker) – were spotlighted. Stalker 2, a first-person shooter developed by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World, came out on top.

In his acceptance video, the CEO of GSC Game World and Stalker 2’s game director, Evgeniy Grygorovych, thanked fans for their support, and said: “Being here proves that several elements much larger than myself aligned for this moment to happen.”

He went on to talk about fans’ dedication to the first Stalker game, noting that players “enriched it with stories, love, and life, ensuring the legacy continues through the years” even after things had been planned to conclude there. “You’ve shown us that there are still goals to achieve and stories to tell,” he said. “Your passion has guided us throughout the journey, and I can never express enough gratitude for that. I consider this award a symbol of your unbreakable trust.”

Continuing, he dedicated the award to the developers working on Stalker 2, and spoke about the extraordinarily challenging circumstances in which the game has been developed. “It was ambitious from the beginning, but evolved into an ultimate challenge,” he explained. “It holds extreme significance, and a deeply personal connection for us, crafted amidst the most stressful conditions imaginable – including the pandemic, war, relocation, cyberattacks, life threats and more.”

Grygorovych also spoke about all the people – including GSC Game World employees – who are currently fighting on the front lines, calling them “real heroes.” He added: “Not all of them were trained for this, they simply couldn’t turn away.”

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is set to release in the first quarter of 2024 on PC and Xbox Series X|S. 

Be sure to keep up with more exciting future releases with our roundup of upcoming games. You can find some fresh recommendations to play right now on our list of the best PC games.