The line comes from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. first person shooter series developed by GSC Game World, beginning with Shadow of Chernobyl in 2007. Set around the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the games call their treasure hunters and mercenaries stalkers, and NPCs regularly greet the player with this phrase. As clips and mods circulated on forums and video platforms, the greeting became shorthand for the series itself, recognised even by players who use it as a general good luck wish before any risky in game expedition.