The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series began with Shadow of Chernobyl, released in 2007 and set in a fictionalized Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, where stalkers explore abandoned buildings and dangerous anomalies. Its music became closely linked with that lonely, irradiated world, and fans have shared tracks, ambience and gameplay audio online for years. Interest in the series grew again around the release of its long-awaited sequel, and the older atmospheric sound remains popular for videos, streams and edits that need a bleak, immersive mood.