The highly anticipated survival horror shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, achieved phenomenal success in its home country, causing a significant nationwide internet slowdown. Let's delve into the launch details and the developers' perspective.
A Nation in the Zone: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2's Impact
The game's popularity overwhelmed Ukraine's internet infrastructure. On November 20th, launch day, internet service providers Tenet and Triolan reported a dramatic drop in internet speeds during the evening, directly attributed to the massive simultaneous downloads by Ukrainian gamers. As reported by ITC, Triolan stated the slowdown was due to "increased load on the channels due to the massive interest in the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R."
Even after successful downloads, many players encountered login and loading issues. The internet disruption lasted for hours before resolving. GSC Game World, the developers, expressed both pride and surprise at this unexpected outcome.
Creative director Mariia Grygorovych shared, "It was tough for the whole country, and the internet disruption is a negative, but at the same time, it's amazing!" She added, "For our team, the most important thing is that we brought a little joy to people in Ukraine. We achieved something positive for our home country."
The game's immense popularity is undeniable. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 sold an impressive 1 million copies within just two days of its release. Despite initial performance issues and bugs, the game's sales were exceptionally strong globally, particularly in Ukraine.
GSC Game World, a Ukrainian studio with offices in Kyiv and Prague, faced challenges bringing the game to market, with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine causing multiple launch delays. Despite these obstacles, the November release marked a significant achievement. The studio remains dedicated to addressing bugs and optimizing performance, recently releasing its third major patch.
