It took over ten years for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl to go from an idea to a reality, but the legendary sequel by GSC Game World took less than a month to turn a profit. The information comes from company owner Maxim Krippa in an interview with Forbes Ukraine.

The relatively unknown businessman has made a name in Kyiv through the real estate market after the war started, but it is Krippa's takeover of GSC from Serhiy Grigorovich that put him in the center of Ukraine's biggest game release ever.

Although Krippa has not disclosed exact numbers, he said that developing the game cost tens of millions of dollars, which the company has already recouped.

Under Krippa, GSC Game World adopted a marketing strategy that emulates that of Polish developer CD Projekt Red. This means attacking from different media fronts in order to maximize the audience.

In this model, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is only one piece of the puzzle. Krippa revealed during the interview that GSC is currently negotiating a Netflix adaptation of the STALKER franchise, though nothing is certain.

As far as the game goes, the owner confirmed previously reported news that there would be two story DLCs in the future, plus a multiplayer mode.

The specifics of how STALKER 2 could go multiplayer are burning a hole in the fans' imagination, as the game could either become an atmospheric co-op masterpiece or an unmitigated disaster.

A standout note from Maxim Krippa's interview with Forbes Ukraine is how the company grew.

The businessman acquired GSC Game World in 2020, at the time already in its second iteration with only Cossacks 3 to its name.

At the time, the company was comprised of 65 employees, including management. Between 2020 and 2024, the development needs of STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl pushed GSC to balloon in size.

Currently, Krippa says there are 470 people working on STALKER 2 alone. Despite the war and a studio relocation to Prague, he said that around 270 of those employees are still working from Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian portal IT Community, Maxim Krippa owns 82% of the shares of GSC Game World. The remaining 18% belong to Evgeniy Grigorevich, who has been the de facto leader of the company since it reopened.

Evgeniy Grigorevich is the younger brother of the company's founder, and worked as Head of Game Direction for STALKER 2 on top of his CEO duties.

Posted: Dec 22, 2024 8:26 pm
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: https://www.dualshockers.com/stalker-2-already-turned-profit-according-director/