GSC says it couldn't delay Stalker 2 to fix bugs because 'one more marathon' might have destroyed the devs: 'It has some problems, but it's a game! It's a game with soul'

As a gamer who’s been through the wringer with numerous bug-ridden titles, I can empathize with GSC Game World’s predicament. The anticipation for Stalker 2 was palpable, and the release, while imperfect, felt like the culmination of a decade-long journey.

Stalker 2 is exceptional, even earning the title of my favorite game this year. As I mentioned in my review, it truly stands out. However, its release was marred by numerous bugs. Remarkably, the development team at GSC Game World has been releasing patches at an incredible speed, and they appear to be addressing these issues effectively. Yet, this situation does lead one to wonder: why didn’t the studio opt for a delay instead?

According to Ievgen Grygorovych, GSC boss, the decision was straightforward: they might have reached a point where the developers were completely exhausted. “For months on end, you’re deeply engrossed in intense work leading up to release, pushing yourself beyond your usual limits and dealing with high stress… By this stage, you’re drained of all energy. You ponder, is it wise to embark on another marathon?

After 14 long years, marked by numerous delays, the game that Grygorovych and his team had been working on in one form or another was finally released. Exhausted from the project, they found themselves unable to push for more development, instead opting to complete as much work as possible before the release date: “We didn’t have the luxury of saying ‘let’s do it again.’ All we could manage was ‘let’s do what we can until this moment—the release date.’

Absolutely, there’s another aspect to consider in this scenario: shifting Stalker 2 from its end-of-November release date means it won’t be available during the Black Friday/Christmas sales season, a fact that Grygorovych acknowledges as well. Given the substantial effort put into the game over a decade and the significant upheaval of relocating from your home country due to a Russian invasion, delaying the game for further refinement only to potentially see reduced sales during this period might not be an appealing prospect.

Which meant players ended up with a pretty buggy game, and reviewers playing before release ended up with a very buggy game, reflected in the wide range of scores handed out to Stalker 2 in various outlets across this great games media landscape of ours. Still, it doesn’t seem to have hurt the game too much: it’s got over 62,000 user reviews on Steam right now and 84% of them are positive.

According to creative director Mariia Grygorovych, “While it does have its flaws, it requires refinement in all aspects,” but she emphasized that “It’s a game! A game filled with emotion, soul, and love. The issues, after all, can’t be resolved without first having a game to work on.

2024-12-04 18:33

GSC says it couldn’t delay Stalker 2 to fix bugs because ‘one more marathon’ might have destroyed the devs: ‘It has some problems, but it’s a game! It’s a game with soul’

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