Anticipating the sequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: the history of GSC Game World

Less than a month remains until September 2024. Fans, journalists, and experts eagerly await the release of the sequel to the legendary shooter. GSC Game World has promised that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024 and even named a date – September 5. In anticipation of the spectacular and captivating game, we decided to refresh our memory of the history of GSC Game World.

A recognizable Ukrainian brand:

The computer game developer company GSC Game World was founded in 1995. From the start, the young and ambitious team decided to impress their senior colleagues with their developments and came up with a sequel to WarCraft - WarCraft 2000: Nuclear Epidemic. But the desired effect was not achieved. Despite obvious successes and interesting solutions, GSC Game World developers were not praised by their colleagues but instead saw their actions as an infringement on copyright. Or maybe they were just afraid of the competition... Having drawn conclusions, the GSC Game World team focused on creating their unique product and developing their brand.

The team from Kyiv began developing a game dedicated to the history of Rus, but "Cossacks: European Wars" came out – the concept changed, as it sometimes happens. But it turned out to be symbolic. Be that as it may, the Cossacks game series became a breakthrough for the company and already in the early 2000s brought success and money.

However, we love GSC Game World not only and not so much for "Cossacks" but for the incredible and legendary worldwide hit – the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl began in 2002. Inspired by the book "Roadside Picnic" and A. Tarkovsky's film "Stalker," the developers created an open-world first-person shooter.

Besides purely technical features, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl had another incredible feature – the atmosphere of the exclusion zone. The cultural context also played in its favor: not all players knew the story of the real Chernobyl nuclear disaster, but the realistic locations were compelling. By the way, the developers risked their health to get an accurate picture and went on a tour of the Zone.

The work on the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was not without its problems, and the timeline was extended. But the game's quality justified and even exceeded all expectations. In 2007, GSC Game World received global recognition.

Fact: the success of the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R

In the first year, more than 2 million copies of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl were released and sold. Its average score on Metacritic was 82/100. The success forced developers to create two more expansions: in 2008, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky was released, and in 2009 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. consistently appears in the lists of the best games of all time according to various gaming portals and magazines.

Crisis after success:

The rapid rise of GSC Game World and its products seemed to guarantee great prospects. But just two years after the release of the second sequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the company faced financial difficulties. Unable to cope with management, the company's leadership decided to shut down. And 2011 is remembered by fans as a disappointment and a collapse of hopes.

But by 2014, GSC Game World resumed its work and even announced the start of the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2. To be fair, it should be noted that the attempt at a second coming was not very successful. The company was plagued by failures, scandals, and difficulties, which were impossible to overcome without the help of an experienced investor. This is how Maksym Krippa appeared on the horizon of GSC Game World.

Fact: Maksym Krippa's activities

Maksim Krippa is a Ukrainian entrepreneur and investor working with assets in the field of esports and game development. Maksym Krippa began making his first investments in the segment in 2018: it started with an investment in the Maincast company. Today, Maksym Krippa owns shares in the Maincast studio. Maksym Krippa is also the owner of the esports organization NAVI.

Investments and the real reboot:

Despite attempts to resume the company's work in 2014, the real reboot occurred in 2018. It was at this time that investor Maksym Krippa began working in the segment. In 2018, Maksym Krippa made his first investments in the Maincast esports broadcasting studio, the esports organization NAVI (Natus Vincere), and GSC Game World.

Maksym Krippa's investments helped the company stabilize its financial position, overcome economic and management crises. Moreover, Maksym Krippa's funds allowed the resumption, or rather the restart, of work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl.

The situation seemed stable, and the prospects clear. However, the release of the second part of the game has been delayed five times. However, this time not so much due to the developers or economic factors, but because of the sudden full-scale military invasion. The events of 2022 directly threatened not only the work but also the lives of employees.

Maksym Krippa decided to move the company to safer Czechia and continue work on the game, which has become a recognizable Ukrainian brand. Whether this decision will help and ensure the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl in September 2024 – we will see, the wait is almost over unless there is a sixth delay.