The creators of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, GSC Game World, greeted Ukrainians on Christmas Eve with a video featuring the snowy Zone, Christmas tree, and the song “Shchedryk”.
The classic Christmas song “Shchedryk” by Mykola Leontovych, known in the West as Carol of the Bells, is performed by the Lviv folk band “Pyrig i Batig”. The composition, in a rather masculine style, matches the atmosphere of the game. GSC also wrote a text greeting:
“Winter envelops the world, and even the Zone cannot escape its embrace—although, as always, it does so anomalously. Blizzards race across the expanse like an emission, transforming once-familiar landscapes into endless snowy deserts. The piercing cold penetrates to the very bones if it catches you off guard during these brief moments of icy wonder. It all disappears as quickly as it appears—leaving behind nothing but memories.
A new psi-phenomenon, an ominous warning, or a real Christmas miracle? Stalkers, as always, adapt and get accustomed. They hide supplies under spruces and share their coordinates with trusted friends, warming up by campfires. Preparing for new adventures in the coming year, they find warmth in shared stories and in the thousands of new colleagues who have finally set foot on the paths of the Zone.
Amid these icy winds, a familiar melody sounds—a song so native to these lands, and its echoes reach far beyond their borders, touching hearts across the Great Earth”.
Rumors say that early files of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 contained a snowy section of the Zone, which is currently not in the game. There is no information yet on whether something similar will be in the upcoming DLC.