GSC Game World has rejected recent claims about how S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was funded, saying the public comments behind them do not accurately describe the agreement with Xbox or the game’s development.
The claims followed a podcast appearance by GSC Game World founder Sergiy Grygorovych. During his conversation with OLDBoi, Grygorovych said money from Xbox covered the game’s costs before development began, a statement that led to reports suggesting Microsoft had paid more than the game’s development budget.
GSC Says the Funding Claims Are Not Accurate
In a statement provided to Insider Gaming on July 22, GSC Game World said it had initially chosen not to respond to Grygorovych’s remarks. The studio changed course because continued silence could be taken as confirmation of information it considered false.
GSC said Grygorovych was not involved in negotiations with partners concerning S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and did not take part in the game’s production cycle. Based on those agreements, the studio said his comments about the company’s activities should not be treated as an accurate account of what happened.
The developer also described S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 as one of the most difficult projects in the video game industry’s history. GSC said the game’s story should be discussed through confirmed facts rather than assumptions or personal opinions.
GSC thanked the players, its partners, the people defending Ukraine, and owner Max Krippa for helping make the game’s release possible. The studio said Krippa provided most of the development budget.
The funding dispute comes as GSC works on a major update for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and its first large-scale story DLC. The studio said it was finishing both projects and would share more information soon. Neither the update’s release date nor the DLC’s launch details were provided in the statement.
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Developed by GSC Game World
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the unforgiving FPS survival adventure in a dark science-fiction open world. Scavenge for gear and resources, hunt for wonders, make hard decisions to survive and pave the path through the Chornobyl Anomalous Zone.
- Genre: Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Single player
- Release: 2024-11-20
- Publisher: GSC Game World
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Age Rating:
USK 18 / GRAC 19+ / ACB MA 15+ / CLASS_IND 16 / PEGI 18 / ESRB M
- IGDB Rating: 81.3/100
