The highly anticipated survival horror shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, achieved phenomenal success in its home country, Ukraine, to the point of causing a nationwide internet slowdown. Let's delve into the details of this remarkable launch and the developer's reaction.
A Nation Enters The Zone
The game's November 20th launch overwhelmed Ukrainian internet infrastructure. Providers Tenet and Triolan reported significant speed reductions in the evening, directly attributed to the massive influx of simultaneous downloads. Triolan's statement, as translated, cited "increased load on the channels due to the massive interest in the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R." Even after downloading, many players encountered login and loading delays. The internet disruption lasted for hours before resolving.
GSC Game World, the developer, expressed both pride and surprise at this unprecedented event. Creative director Mariia Grygorovych stated, "It was hard for the whole country, and it's a bad thing because the internet is important, but at the same time it's like whoa!" She emphasized the positive impact, saying, "For us and our team, what's most important is, for some people in Ukraine, they feel a little bit happier than they were before release. We did something for our home country, something good for them."
This overwhelming popularity translated into impressive sales figures: one million copies sold within just two days of release. Despite acknowledged performance issues and bugs, the game's reception was exceptionally strong globally, particularly in Ukraine.
GSC Game World, a Ukrainian studio with offices in Kyiv and Prague, faced challenges in releasing the game due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which caused multiple launch delays. However, their commitment to release finally culminated in November. The studio continues to address the game's issues through regular updates, with a third major patch released recently.
