Serhiy, a soldier with the 112th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces, took part in the creation of an unusual video—Ukrainian defenders played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 right in the Chornobyl zone. The filming location was Prypiat, which most players associate primarily with the game’s universe, but which holds a completely different meaning for the soldiers.
Serhiy didn’t just visit the Zone for the sake of filming. He is serving there and carrying out military missions. For Serhiy, this isn’t just an opportunity to see the world he knows from the game in real life or to compare it with the actual city.
The idea also caught the attention of GSC Game World. Studio owner Maksym Krippa took notice of the video and highlighted the unusual combination of the two realities. According to him, for many people in different countries, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has become a way to learn about the Chornobyl zone, while for Ukrainian soldiers, it is now a place of service and combat operations.
Krippa also thanked the defenders for ensuring that, thanks to their work, the Ukrainian creative industry can continue to develop even during the war. He specifically expressed his hope that the soldiers would return home so that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. would remain for them merely a game they can play online.
In an interview with GameDev DOU, Serhiy talked about the history of the video’s creation, the idea behind it, and the daily lives of military personnel in the Chornobyl zone. He shared details about his service in Chornobyl and Prypiat, described the real dangers of the Zone, and explained how it differs from the one millions of players know from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
15 Minutes Before Sunset: How TDF Fighters Recreated a Scene from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 in Prypiat
The idea for the video came about thanks to the 112th Brigade’s service in the Chornobyl zone and the collaboration between one of the soldiers and the MK Foundation. The foundation, founded by Maksym Krippa, donated a vehicle to the unit bearing the inscription “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2,” and this sparked the concept: first, the soldiers play the game on a computer, and then the scene shifts—and that same moment is already unfolding in real-life Prypiat. However, they still had to reach the right location in the game. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was already installed on one of the unit’s computers, so two soldiers took turns playing the game during their downtime until they reached the “Energetik” Cultural Center.
There was almost no time left for the actual filming. They loaded a desktop computer with a large monitor into a van and drove it to Prypiat, but due to traffic delays and security clearances, the soldiers arrived about 15 minutes before sunset. During that time, they had to set up the equipment, change clothes, and film what they had planned—in the end, they managed to do it in just three takes. Part of the video was shot by a Canadian cameraman, whom Serhiy directed in English on where to point the camera to achieve a first-person perspective. Due to twilight, they didn’t have time to fully enter the building at that moment, although the soldiers later visited it separately.
Special attention was paid to details during filming. Real weapons and combat gear were used in the shots, and on the way to Prypiat, the crew specifically purchased a “Non-Stop”—another recognizable element from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The car featuring the game’s branding also became part of the concept, so the goal was to make the video as close as possible to the atmosphere of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., but set within the real Zone.
What a soldier will recognize in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and what makes the real Zone so impressive
While playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Serhiy came across familiar places more than once. Some locations resemble real-world sites so closely that he immediately draws parallels. Among the most recognizable are the “Energetik” Cultural Center with its distinctive murals, the Arch, as well as abandoned settlements with old houses, derelict machinery, and buildings gradually being swallowed up by vegetation. According to the soldier, it is precisely these details that particularly well convey the feel of the Zone, since he regularly sees similar scenes during his service.
At the same time, the real Chornobyl zone is much more diverse to him than the familiar image of a gloomy and foggy Zone seen on screen. Here, in the middle of an ordinary sunny day, you can encounter horses, moose, wolves, or deer, and the abandoned territories are gradually transforming into true wilderness. At the same time, the city of Chornobyl itself continues to thrive: people work there, and coffee shops are open. Among the sites that are most impressive in person, Serhiy singles out the Arch—its scale, in his opinion, is difficult to appreciate until you see the structure with your own eyes.