The highly anticipated survival horror shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, achieved phenomenal success in its home country, Ukraine, causing a significant nationwide internet slowdown. This article delves into the game's launch and the developers' reaction to this unprecedented event.
Ukraine's Internet Overwhelmed by S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
The game's popularity proved so immense that it effectively overloaded Ukraine's internet infrastructure. On November 20th, the release date, internet service providers Tenet and Triolan reported a dramatic decrease in internet speeds during the evening. This was directly attributed to the massive number of simultaneous downloads by Ukrainian gamers eager to experience S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Triolan's statement, as translated, cited "increased load on the channels due to the massive interest in the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R." as the cause of the slowdown.
Even after successfully downloading the game, many players encountered login and loading issues. The internet disruption lasted for several hours before resolving as downloads completed.
GSC Game World, the developers, expressed a mixture of pride and astonishment at the overwhelming response. Creative director Mariia Grygorovych stated, "It was hard for the whole country, and it's a bad thing because the internet is important, but at the same time it's like whoa!" She added, "For us and our team, what's most important is that for some people in Ukraine, they feel a little bit happier than they were before the release. We did something for our home country, something good for them."
The game's popularity is undeniable. Within just two days of its release, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 achieved sales of 1 million copies. Despite acknowledged performance issues and bugs, its commercial success was remarkable, particularly in Ukraine.
GSC Game World, a Ukrainian studio operating from Kyiv and Prague, faced challenges in releasing the game due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, causing multiple launch delays. However, their commitment to releasing the game resulted in a November launch. The studio continues to actively address bugs and optimize performance through regular updates, with a third major patch released recently.
