In the “Cost of Hope” story expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, players have the opportunity to get to know Mavka better—a new heroine around whom one of the DLC’s key storylines unfolds. She is pitted against Zulus, a character well known to fans of the series from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: “Call of Pripyat.”
The character of Mavka was brought to life on screen by Ukrainian theater and film actress Maria Stopnyk. For her, working on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was an unusual experience, as she not only had to portray the character but also help her develop her own personality and voice within the game world.
In an interview with the publication “Mezha,” Maria Stopnyk spoke about her work on “Cost of Hope,” the creation of the character Mavka, and her experience participating in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
How Maria Stopnyk Became Mavka
Maria Stopnyk said she had hardly ever played video games. As a child, she spent time playing The Sims, Need for Speed, and GTA, and on the PlayStation 5, she tried The Last of Us and It Takes Two. However, she had never played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. before, even though she was familiar with the series.
Maria Stopnyk joined the project in the spring of 2025 after an audition. Initially, she was considered solely as a model for Mavka’s appearance: the actress was photographed and later invited to a screen test. At that point, there was no talk of voicing the character, since in the main game, Mavka speaks in the Arena with the voice of a different actress.
Over time, Stopnyk’s role gradually expanded. She was offered the chance to record the Ukrainian voiceover, and then she participated in motion capture—for which the actress traveled to the Czech Republic. Later, the issue of the English version was resolved, and ultimately, it is her voice that Mavka uses in the game in both languages; Maria also performs the final song.
The initial motion capture was recorded in the Czech Republic in English, and back in Kyiv, the team worked further on facial expressions and acting.
“Mavka” as seen through the eyes of Maria Stopnyk herself
Separately, the actress shared her impressions of how her appearance was recreated in the video game. She doesn’t judge the result in terms of “similar or not,” since she sees it as part of the director’s vision. At the same time, she recognizes her own traits—facial expressions, movements, and appearance—in some scenes. In her opinion, it’s technologically impossible to fully recreate a person in a game, but the very fact of appearing in the digital world was special to her.
Stopnyk also compared working in a motion capture suit to regular acting. According to her, it’s not more difficult, just a completely different format. You have to get used to the cameras on your head, the markers, and the need to exaggerate your movements and facial expressions. Before traveling to the Czech Republic, the actors rehearsed in Kyiv, so once they arrived, all that was left was to work out the technical details.
There were some funny moments, too: markers would occasionally fly off the suits, and the crew joked that Mavka’s “finger had fallen off.” At the same time, Stopnyk describes the entire experience as more fun than difficult. Watching the actors, who have long worked in motion capture, she managed to learn a lot and try out this new way of working for herself.
How the actress perceives her character
Stopnyk does not view Mavka as an unambiguously positive or negative character. She is drawn precisely to the character’s complexity and the way her attitude toward people and her own ideals changes over the course of the story. At first, Mavka appears as a young idealist who constantly causes trouble, but eventually her convictions become so strong that she is willing to take radical steps for their sake.
According to the actress, in a sense, it was Mavka’s surroundings that helped shape this tough version of the character. She trusted people who shared her views, but gradually became disillusioned with them. Ultimately, the conviction for which Mavka is willing to risk herself becomes more important to her than anything else. It is this transformation, according to Stopnik, that makes the character interesting, even despite criticism from some players.
When it comes to choosing between Mavka and Zulus, the actress relies primarily on player feedback. She’s noticed that fans of Call of Pripyat tend to side with Zulus, while those who haven’t played the previous installment are more likely to choose Mavka. At the same time, according to her, some streamers deliberately distrusted the heroine because of her overly idealistic image.
Stopnyk doesn’t know if Mavka will return in the next expansion. The actress doesn’t even know whether her character survived the events of “Cost of Hope,” so she can’t confirm or deny a possible continuation of her story. At the same time, she admitted that she would gladly return to the role.
Stopnyk also makes no secret of her interest in a potential S.T.A.L.K.E.R. adaptation. If a TV series based on the game does get greenlit, the actress would love to be a part of it. For her, that would be a dream come true, though she’s also curious to see who exactly will be cast in the roles.
Overall, Maria describes her experience working with GSC Game World as very positive. For her, it was an opportunity to try her hand at an unusual format, work with motion capture, and see how a character for a major video game is created. It also allowed her to discover a new field with which she was previously almost entirely unfamiliar, but which ultimately left her with many positive impressions.