Something to look forward to: Stalker 2 might have arrived with a fair few bugs, but it’s a great game that lives up to the franchise’s legacy. Despite launching less than a month ago, the FPS/survival horror is already profitable, which means at least two expansions and a multiplayer mode are coming. There are also talks underway about a Stalker Netflix series.
Speaking in an interview with Forbes Ukraine about Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, developer GSC Game World owner Maxim Krippa said “We have already sold enough to make the project profitable.”
It took just two days after release for Stalker 2 to sell over a million units. The game had been one of the most highly anticipated titles in years, but it’s still an impressive feat considering Stalker 2 has been available on Game Pass for PC and Xbox users from day one.
“The team worked almost 24/7 before the release. They lived this project, especially against the backdrop of war. We wanted to give the country hope and pride, to show everyone that Ukrainians can make projects of such a high level,” Krippa continued.
Related reading: Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl GPU Benchmark
That profitability comes despite Stalker 2 costing tens of millions to produce. The vast majority of that was spent on the game’s core development, with very little going toward marketing.
The success means at least two Stalker 2 expansions are coming, along with a multiplayer mode, all of which should excite those players still exploring The Zone and getting frustrated at not being able to carry more stuff.
Krippa also teased the possibility of a Stalker TV series. “I would like us to get the series on Netflix,” he said. “Some negotiations are underway, but the issue has not yet been resolved.”
With its expansive world and many excellent stories, Stalker feels like it would make for an excellent TV adaptation. The TV versions of The Last of Us and Fallout have been massive successes. It’s easy to imagine a gritty sci-fi show based on Stalker being equally as popular. Nothing’s been finalized yet, though.
Stalker 2 arrived with a slew of technical issues, leading to some mixed reviews. GSC Game World CEO Ievgen Grygorovych said the team decided to fix as much as it could before release then release improvements post-launch. The company said another delay wasn’t an option as the team was exhausted from a long development that was carried out during the Ukraine-Russia war.
Stalker 2 has received numerous patches since it launched addressing the bugs and other issues. If you’ve never played it, now’s an excellent time to start.
Earlier this month, a disinformation campaign claimed Stalker 2 is secretly being used by the Ukraine government to identify and locate conscripts for the war against Russia.
