GSC Gameworld Reopens Development Studio

GSC Gameworld have reopened their development doors. The developer is most known for their Stalker series,  S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat. The development studio shut down on December 9, 2011. They are also better known in Europe for their work on the Cossack series, real time strategy titles. While they achieved success with both series, GSC Gameworld was dissolved in the midst of creating S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Sergie Grigorovich was company CEO and reason for the dissolve, and the only explanation he gave was he did it for “personal reasons.” The development team is based in Ukraine which is currently going through a period of unrest due to Russia. However this hasn’t stopped GSC Gameworld from starting up development on a new title. While they have avoided saying it is the canceled S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Valentine Yeltyshev said it will please fans of that series.

Yeltyshev also spoke about the development period on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 leading up to the company’s previous dissolution in December of 2011. He said it was a personal decision by the CEO, but that also S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was still in the very early stages of development despite being worked on for two years. While the team was passionate about the title, the money and time just wasn’t there. The team was smaller, dwindling down from 200 to 50 in two years. After the company’s dissolution most of the team stuck together and started seeking a source of funding elsewhere. They eventually came to an agreement with Vostok Ventures and started development on Survarium, a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. influenced multiplayer shooter. Other members of GSC Gameworld is 4A Games, creators of Metro Last Light, which survived past the demise of its publisher, THQ. GSC Gameworld has run into some legal problems as well, with West Games promoting themselves as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s team, despite only having worked on a flash-based browser game.

The only details Yeltyshev gave on the new project from GSC Gameworld is that it will be a full priced game. “The market we’re in is quite old fashioned, they’re not 16 year olds, they’re 25-40 years old. We don’t think free-to-play is the right model for the game we want to make. So we’re making an old-fashioned, full price game, we think our audience will be happy about that.”