Following Stalker 2’s Success, Developer GSC Game World Contends With ‘This New Reality’

As a gamer who has been following the development of Stalker 2 for years, it’s nothing short of exhilarating to see this game finally making waves and breaking records. The success of Stalker 2 is not just a victory for GSC Game World, but a testament to the power of perseverance and the resilience of the gaming industry.

The game “Stalker 2” has been incredibly successful. It’s been reported that over one million copies have been sold on PC and Xbox Series X and S, with many more playing it through Game Pass. Furthermore, indications from Ukraine, where the original developer was based before Russia’s invasion in 2022, suggest that the game is already making a profit. Additionally, there are whispers of a potential Netflix series for this popular title.

But what does this success mean for GSC Game World itself and the future of Stalker 2? iggn.ru interviewed GSC CEO Ievgen Grygorovych and creative director Maria Grygorovych at BAFTA in Piccadilly, London following a screening of War Game: The Making of Stalker 2, to ask if Stalker 2’s big sales were a game-changer for the developer.

Ievgen and Maria conversed about the implications of Stalker 2’s release, acknowledging that it marks a “new phase” for the studio, one that brings a larger audience than ever before. To navigate this new landscape, they mentioned that initial efforts will focus on enhancing Stalker 2 itself, an area where GSC has already demonstrated commitment through various updates. However, they also emphasized the need to broaden their strategies for ongoing support, aiming to meet and exceed the expectations of this expanded audience.

Maria advised, “It’s important to consider our diverse audience carefully since they have varying preferences.

Let’s embrace this fresh situation, engaging actively with our community, fostering conversations to gain a better understanding of them. Our goal is to cultivate a strong bond.

Ievgen elaborated by explaining that although GSC’s overall strategy for creating future video games stays consistent, they intend to significantly increase their investment in the post-release support of Stalker 2 compared to what was initially budgeted.

Approximately five or six years ago, he shared, we laid out a blueprint for our future endeavors over the next 10 to 15 years. This included the projects we intended to undertake and our vision of our appearance. Since then, we’ve been making minor adjustments to this plan, primarily by moving the timelines forward, until the release of the game.

Over the course of six years, our desire to play the same games as initially planned hasn’t wavered. Interestingly enough, what has changed is our perspective on post-release updates for Stalker 2. Initially, we hadn’t anticipated pouring as much time into live updates, but now we find ourselves wanting to add significant additional content to this game through regular updates after its release.

For Stalker 2 and its players, this implies that GSC has the ability now to incorporate concepts that were initially trimmed from the game prior to launch because they weren’t fully developed, and even introduce fresh ideas that have emerged following the release of Stalker 2.

Ievgen clarified that we didn’t anticipate spending so much time refining Stalker 2,” he said. “However, our plan for the next decade or more remains focused on developing various other projects. Yet, we are significantly increasing our efforts on Stalker 2 as well.

I deeply cherish the world we’ve created, as there’s always room for improvement. We’re motivated to make those improvements, and now we have an audience who will benefit from them. It’s a driving force for me.

Reports from Ukraine indicate that Stalker 2 might have at least two expansions and possibly multiplayer features – this could be among the concepts Ievgen was discussing. It appears they’re optimistic that Stalker 2’s success could position Ukraine within the game development industry, similar to how CD Projekt’s The Witcher 2 boosted Poland’s presence.

For the near future, work on rectifying issues in Stalker 2 persists, including a significant update focusing on enhancing the vital A-Life 2.0 function. Earlier, GSC had shared insights into the problems encountered with Stalker 2’s A-Life 2.0 implementation.

2024-12-23 17:26

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