It took over ten years forSTALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylto go from an idea to a reality, butthe legendary sequel by GSC Game World took less than a month to turn a profit. The information comes from company owner Maxim Krippa inan 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 ofUkraine’s biggest game releaseever.
Although Krippa has not disclosed exact numbers, he said thatdeveloping 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 developerCD Projekt Red. This means attacking fromdifferent media frontsin order to maximize the audience.
In this model,STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylis only one piece of the puzzle. Krippa revealedduring the interviewthat GSC is currently negotiating aNetflix adaptationof theSTALKERfranchise, 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 howSTALKER 2could go multiplayer are burning a hole in the fans' imagination, as the game could either become an atmosphericco-op masterpieceor an unmitigated disaster.
Everything Is Bigger In Ukraine
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 onlyCossacks 3to its name.
At the time,the company was comprised of 65 employees, including management. Between 2020 and 2024, the development needs ofSTALKER 2: Heart of Chernobylpushed GSC to balloon in size.
Currently,Krippa says there are 470 people working onSTALKER 2alone. Despite the war and a studio relocation to Prague, he said that around 270 of those employees are stillworking 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 asHead of Game DirectionforSTALKER 2on top of his CEO duties.
