[UPDATE] Stalker 2 Dev Hits Out at Founder’s Comments on Xbox Exclusivity, Insist He Doesn’t Know What He’s Talking About
GSC Game World has disputed claims made by company founder Sergiy Grygorovych regarding Microsoft’s financial arrangement for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s Xbox exclusivity.
In a recent podcast appearance, Grygorovych claimed that Xbox paid more than the full development cost of the game to secure it as a timed exclusive, with Microsoft’s funding covering expenses “before the first day” of development.
However, GSC Game World contradicted these comments in a statement, saying Grygorovych’s claims “cannot be considered an accurate reflection of the actual state of affairs.” The studio said it felt compelled to respond publicly, noting that “continued silence may be perceived as confirmation of information that is simply not true.”
According to GSC’s statement, company owner Max Krippa funded the majority of Stalker 2’s development budget, suggesting Microsoft’s contribution was less substantial than Grygorovych implied. However, the studio deliberately avoided providing specifics about the Xbox deal itself—neither confirming the actual amount Microsoft paid, the deal’s precise terms, nor the game’s total development budget.
The dispute underscores ongoing opacity around major gaming exclusivity arrangements. While Grygorovych’s claims suggested an unusually generous payment from Microsoft, GSC’s response fails to clarify the financial specifics, leaving key questions about the actual terms of the deal unresolved.