Stalker 2 developer refutes claims by studio founder that Xbox paid more than game’s development cost to make it exclusive

GSC Game World has refuted claims made by studio founder Sergiy Grygorovych regarding the financial terms of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s Xbox exclusivity deal.

In a recent interview with YouTuber OLDboi, Grygorovych claimed that Microsoft paid GSC Game World more money than the cost to develop the game in order to secure it as a timed exclusive. He stated the deal “paid for itself before the first day,” suggesting the Xbox payment exceeded the entire development budget.

GSC Game World’s official response directly contradicted these statements, asserting that Grygorovych’s claims “do not reflect the actual facts.” The studio emphasized that Grygorovych was not involved in the exclusivity negotiations, having departed GSC in 2023 before the Xbox deal was finalized.

The developer suggested that Grygorovych, as the original founder who is no longer with the company, lacks firsthand knowledge of the actual terms negotiated with Microsoft. This distinction appears significant, as it calls into question the credibility of his public claims about the deal’s financial specifics.

The exact payment Microsoft made for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s exclusivity remains undisclosed. The game launched as a timed exclusive on Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a PlayStation 5 release planned for later.

Sources

• Stalker 2 developer refutes claims by studio founder that Xbox paid more than game’s development cost to make it exclusive
• STALKER 2 Dev Refutes Claims About Xbox’s Funding for Timed Exclusivity
• Stalker 2 studio founder’s claims that Xbox paid more for exclusivity than the game cost to make “do not reflect the actual facts”, according to GSC Game World