The owner of the «Ukraine» hotel, Ukrainian esports team NAVI, and GSC Game World spoke about the creation and plans for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.
В interview Forbes Maxim Krippa did not disclose the figures, which were not officially announced, but expressed satisfaction with the game’s release and profits. The entrepreneur calls S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 a commercial success, a huge cultural achievements and a symbol of Ukrainian creativity and resilience.
Krippa noted the important role of Maria and Yevhen Hryhorovych, who were involved in organizational and operational processes, as well as creative directors of the product. During the development, the COVID epidemic, and the war, GSC’s staff grew sevenfold:
«About 470 people work on the game. Approximately 200 of them are employees working around the world, and about 270 remain in Ukraine, despite all the challenges we have to face because of the war. When I joined the company in 2020, the team consisted of 65 people,» says Maksym Krippa.
The vast majority of the game’s costs went to its creation — marketing «remained in the shadows». Without naming the amount, the businessman confirmed that the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 cost tens of millions of dollars The main market for the game is currently the United States. Now the «game has already turned into a plus»:
«We have already sold enough to make the project profitable. The team worked almost 24/7 before the release. They lived this project, especially against the backdrop of war. We wanted to give the country hope and pride, to show everyone that Ukrainians can make projects of such a high level».
GSC’s promotion strategy is based on the experience of CD Projekt RED. «The Witcher» has become the national pride of Poland — books, games, Netflix series. Fans will be happy to know that the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 team has plans for the last point as well:
«I would like us to get the series on Netflix. Some negotiations are underway, but the issue has not yet been resolved».
Krippa announced at least two DLC for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and multiplayer. The game «has a great potential», the owner believes in «long and successful future of the product»:
«We believe that we will be able to reach, and possibly exceed, even the most ambitious forecasts».
Maxim Krippa spoke about the fate of GSC Game World and the change of ownership. In 2011, Sergey Grigorievich closed the company and «retired», S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was suspended. In 2018, Sergiy and Yevhen revived the project. By 2020 Sergey Grigorievich financed the development of We were able to finance the project at our own expense, but it was not enough. After taking ownership of the company in 2020, financing was provided by Krippa. At this stage, Serhii Hryhorovych did not take an active part in the development; he does not currently hold any shares in the company, but he receives a certain percentage under the agreement.
«I have a lot of respect for Sergey Grigorievich: he created the company and came up with the Stalker franchise in general. Without the trilogy he created, nothing would have happened. For me, he is a unique person, a legend. I’m very glad that we were able to make a game that became a worthy continuation of the projects in which Sergey was directly involved,» the businessman said.
Currently, Maxim Krippa owns 82% of GSC Game World. The remaining 18% is owned by Evgeny Grigorievich, who is CEO and Head of Game Direction of the company. In 2018, Krippa acquired the NAVI team from Oleksandr Kokhanovsky, who introduced him to Sergiy Hryhorovych. Getting to know the rest of them led to the acquisition of the company.