Update: It seems the Kickstarter project has come under fire from Vostok Games, the studio formed when GSC collapsed. According to reports from VG247 and PC Gamer, the studio believes that Areal is stealing artwork from their own spiritual successor to STALKER, titled Survarium.

In a statement to VG247 (via PC Gamer), Vostok marketing manager Oleg Yavorsky expanded on their objections:

"So that you understand, over the years of development of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and then Metro series, there have been literally hundreds of people involved in working on various bits and pieces, starting from beta-testers up to modellers responsible for certain weapon models.

Many people came to the studio to work for a few months just for the sake of adding 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. development' to their portfolio. Frequently they claimed afterwards to be the ‘core’ developers behind the game (you wouldn’t know anyway, right?)."

One key point to make is that West Games, the developers of the supposed Areal title, aren't exactly clear on the footage shown in the Kickstarter video below, with past STALKER footage shown but not labelled correctly. VG247 also notes that much of what the team does show has now been suggested as past work on "various engines."

Original Story:

Former developers of the popular STALKER series have taken to Kickstarter in hopes of creating a spiritual successor to GSC Game World's now dormant post-apocalyptic survival horror.

The open world game — in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, Linux, Mac and Windows PC with an estimated September 2015 release date — depicts a post-apocalyptic world deteriorating because of a mysterious mineral called Metamorphite. The result of a meteor strike, it "eventually spreads, corrupts and infects the whole world," Areal's Kickstarter description reads.

According to their Kickstarter page, the studio includes the former lead animator, developer and designer from STALKER, with Areal focusing on a "non-linear and branching story-line that makes every person's experience unique." The developers behind STALKER and Metro: Last Light are looking to raise $50,000 for the Kickstarter campaign that ends on July 24th. Check out the Kickstarter video below.