In 2001, a group of young developers from Kyiv embarked on a mission to create the most challenging computer game ever – with realistic graphics, an open world, and an unusual plot set amidst the backdrop of the Chornobyl Zone.

Hundreds of thousands awaited S.T.A.L.K.E.R's release from the beginning of its promotional campaign, but the developers became prisoners of their ambitions. They endlessly refined the game, repeatedly postponing its launch year after year. But at one point, the American publisher's patience ran out.

This story is about the video game industry, passion for work, and a project that transcended screens and became a pop culture phenomenon.