The studio behind the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series has been designated as an undesirable organization in Russia

The ban was rumored to be a result of the company allegedly financing organizations that had previously been declared undesirable or extremist in the Russian Federation.

Officials also highlighted what they called “Russophobic content” in the company’s video games. Previously, State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov called for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl to be banned in Russia, after claiming that the title was without Russian localization, and therefore discriminatory against Russian players.

GSC Game World was founded in 1995 in Kyiv and has since published more than 20 video games, including the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series of shooters and Cossacks strategy titles.