Intrigues around the change of ownership
In the spring of 2023, the game developer S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was once again in the spotlight of journalists under the hashtag "intrigue". The fact is that the media leaked information about the alleged transfer of GSC Game World to a new owner. To be more precise, the information was leaked by Vitaliy Volochay, better known as V1lat. In one of his comments to the press, Volochai said that the portfolio of "our investor" includes GSC Game World assets.
It was no problem for Volochai to identify the investor. It is widely known that Maxim Krippa is an investor in the Maincast esports broadcasting company. Talks around the change of ownership lasted for six months until the name of the previous owner disappeared from the official register. New disputes erupted.
Now it was no longer a question of whether Maxim Krippa was really the beneficial owner of GSC Game World, but of the fate of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
Official explanations
The pressure around the topic of the owner reached a certain peak and representatives of GSC Game World came out with official explanations. The dots were dotted as follows:
First: Yes, Maxim Krippa has indeed become the new owner of the company. But there is nothing supernatural about it. The businessman started investing in GSC Game World back in 2020. By the way, this may be what Vitaliy Volochai meant when he spoke about the presence of GSC Game World assets in Maxim Krippa portfolio.
Second: The company's transition to Maxim Krippa ownership is a step towards positive changes. After all, GSC Game World needs money to operate successfully. "This is an expensive business, and we need help to develop, to really grow and reach a completely different level," said Maxim Tkachenko, a company representative.
When to expect S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
Those who followed the release of the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. should remember how long we had to wait for the game's release. The development of Oblivion Lost at that time began in 2001. Along the way, the game lost something, gained something, changed names, and eventually S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was scheduled for release in 2004. But in fact, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl was released only three years later, in 2007. It was released and became the first game to be sold on PC. In total, 950 thousand people from the CIS countries bought the game within a year, and the number of copies sold in the West exceeded 700 thousand. A fantastic result for the guys from Ukraine, who showed what our guys are capable of!
It looks like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl is going to break its predecessor's records in everything, including the release waiting time. It has already been postponed 5 times! According to the latest data, it will be possible to evaluate the new development of GSC Game World in the first quarter of 2024 (approximately in September).
Why is the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 so delayed?
In a nutshell, it was due to a lack of money, and then a full-scale war. A detailed description of the preceding events is as follows.
First: In 2010, GSC Game World announces work on the sequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. It experiences financial difficulties and closes down. In any case, at the end of 2011, information about the dismissal of the studio's employees appears with reference to Sergey Grigorievich.
Second: At the beginning of 2012, GSC Game World employees continue to work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, but without money and talk about the enormous need for investment. A few months later, it was reported that the company was also in trouble with its copyrights. What was meant by this is not entirely clear. But the employees left the company and started their own.
Third: In 2018, work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 resumes, or rather, starts from scratch. At the same time, the first release date was set for 2021.
Fourth: In 2020, the trailer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is finally released. The year suspiciously coincides with the arrival of Maxim Krippa investment in GSC Game World. The new release date is 2022.
Fifth: Needless to say, what happened in 2022? Due to a full-scale war, the company postpones both work and release indefinitely. Then, apparently with the help of Maxim Krippa, the staff relocates to Prague and work resumes. The release date is 2023, then September 5, 2024.
If we summarize all the problems that GSC Game World had, we can draw several conclusions. For example, there are questions to the company's management. When employees leave the company, taking their developments with them, and there is something wrong with the copyrights, there is a strong feeling that an experienced businessman should run the company.
In addition, it is obvious that GSC Game World does not want to lose its brand and aims to make a first-class product. This is explicitly stated in all press releases, saying that we understand that you are waiting, but technical excellence is worth it. And technical solutions also cost money, so the arrival of the new owner Maxim Krippa is great news. Having extensive experience in running a business, particularly in a similar segment, the businessman will help with resources and management.
