The highly anticipated survival horror shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, achieved phenomenal success in its home country, Ukraine, causing a temporary nationwide internet slowdown due to the massive influx of simultaneous downloads.
A Nation-Wide Gaming Phenomenon
The game's November 20th launch overwhelmed Ukrainian internet service providers, Tenet and Triolan. Both reported significant speed reductions in the evening, directly attributed to the surge in downloads. Triolan's Telegram announcement, as translated, stated the slowdown was due to "increased load on the channels due to the massive interest in the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R." Even after successful downloads, many players experienced login and loading delays. The internet disruption lasted several hours before resolving.
GSC Game World, the Ukrainian developer, expressed both pride and surprise at the event. Creative director Mariia Grygorovych commented, "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! For us and our team, what's most important is, for some people in Ukraine, they feel a little bit happier than they were before release. We did something for our home country, something good for them."
Record-Breaking Sales Despite Challenges
The game's immense popularity is undeniable, with over 1 million copies sold within just two days of its release. This remarkable achievement comes despite acknowledged performance issues and bugs. GSC Game World, operating from offices in Kyiv and Prague, faced significant challenges, including multiple launch delays due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, the studio persevered, releasing the game in November and committing to ongoing updates and bug fixes, including a recent third major patch.
