As a seasoned gamer who has weathered countless storms of delays and cancellations, I must say, the tale of STALKER 2’s development is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s like watching a phoenix rise from the ashes, with COVID, war, relocation, fire, hacks, and delays as its fiery trials. Yet, amidst all this chaos, there’s an undeniable air of triumph that emanates from GSC Game World.
At this year’s Gamescom, we had an interview with GSC Game World regarding the launch of STALKER 2, and discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The game was initially developed before being halted in 2012. Its development has been marked by numerous cancellations and postponements. This new version of the game was originally slated for release three years ago, but the war in Ukraine caused those plans to be suspended. More recently, it was intended for a summer launch, only to be delayed again; the reason given was “to provide time to address technical issues.”
Zachar Bocharov from GSC Game World spoke about the challenging launch of their game: “From the start, it was a game with high ambitions. But then came COVID-19, followed by a war, relocation, a fire in Prague, Russian cyber-attacks, and delays. However, there was an undeniable sense of accomplishment in Bocharov’s voice; they were almost at the finish line.”
Reflecting on a span of seven years in my mind, I found myself thinking, ‘wow, that business decision wasn’t exactly a home run’. GSC Game World opted for an unconventional approach with STALKER 2, choosing to self-publish the game rather than following the standard route with a publisher. This means they aren’t working with the substantial budget typically associated with AAA titles.
This wasn’t just PR fluff, either. I played STALKER 2 (you’ll have to wait for my preview for my full thoughts) and I can confirm that it is very close. I can also confirm that it wasn’t a ‘really bad business idea.’ GSC Game World’s upcoming sequel is incredibly impressive, though the story behind its development perhaps even more so.
The release date is set for November 20th now, and it’s likely we will actually see it then.
Our preview and full interview with GSC Game World will be coming this week.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-08-29 16:39