The Ukrainian studio GSC Game World has commented on the latest public statements made by its founder and former owner, Serhiy Grygorovych. He had previously claimed that the console exclusivity deal with Xbox had allegedly fully covered the development costs of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 even before its release.
Although Serhiy Grygorovych sold his stake in GSC Game World to Maksym Krippa and has had no connection to the studio since 2023, he continues to publicly comment on everything related to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, particularly its development and funding. In response to his latest statements, GSC Game World issued a statement refuting his claims.
In a statement to Insider Gaming, the studio noted that it had not planned to respond to the former head’s remarks until recently, but decided to make an exception due to the nature of the claims made.
Statement from GSC Game World
GSC Game World emphasized that it respects Serhiy Grygorovych’s contribution to the creation of the studio and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise, but noted that his status as a founder does not grant him the authority to represent the company or comment on processes in which he was not involved.
According to the studio, in accordance with the agreements reached, Grygorovych did not participate in negotiations with partners regarding S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, nor was he involved in the game’s development throughout the entire production cycle. That is why, as GSC Game World asserts, his statements regarding partnership agreements, funding, and the cost of developing the project do not correspond to the actual state of affairs.
The studio stated that it had fulfilled all of its contractual obligations
The company also stated that it had fulfilled all its obligations under the signed contracts, and that the information regarding an alleged debt owed to Serhiy Grygorovych was false. At the same time, the studio declined to disclose the terms of the relevant agreements, citing their confidentiality, and noted that any potential legal disputes should be resolved through legal channels rather than via public statements.
GSC Game World also suggested that the repeated dissemination of unconfirmed financial allegations and public statements about potential legal claims could be viewed as an attempt to exert informational pressure on the company. At the same time, the studio stated that it would not speculate on the possible involvement of third parties without proper evidence, but reserves the right to defend its business reputation through legal means.
Separately, the company emphasized that the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was made possible thanks to the team’s work, the support of players and partners, the defenders of Ukraine, as well as funding from GSC Game World owner Maksym Krippa, who, according to the studio, covered the majority of the development budget. In closing, the company stated that the story behind the game’s creation should be based on facts, and that the team will continue to focus on the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and the future of the franchise.
GSC Game World is preparing for the release of the DLC
GSC Game World also noted that it hopes public statements regarding the situation will not distract attention from the team’s current work. The studio is currently focused on preparing the major story expansion “Cost of Hope” for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
Given that Serhiy Grygorovych’s latest comments were made on the eve of the DLC’s release in an interview with gaming blogger OLDboi, some members of the audience speculate that his statements may be related to expectations of payments tied to the game’s upcoming content. At the same time, previous comments from GSC Game World representatives referred to a share of sales from the base game. Additional payments for future expansions were not mentioned; therefore, based on the publicly stated terms, these agreements did not extend to the DLC.
Meanwhile, GSC Game World has been actively sharing new content about “Cost of Hope” in recent weeks, fueling audience interest in the upcoming release. The expansion is officially scheduled for release this summer, though the exact launch date remains unknown at this time.