GSC Game World has decided to publicly respond to recent statements by Serhiy Grygorovych—the studio’s former owner and one of its founders. This marks the company’s first notable public response in quite some time. The reason was his comments regarding the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, specifically his claim that an agreement with Xbox regarding console exclusivity allegedly allowed the studio to fully recoup the game’s development costs even before its release. In addition, Grygorovych also discussed other aspects of the studio’s operations, which prompted GSC’s response.
Although Serhiy Grygorovych has not been involved in the management of GSC Game World for several years, he continues to comment from time to time on the history of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s development and the company’s activities. After selling his stake to Maksym Krippa, he stepped away from the studio’s business operations, and in September 2023, he was finally removed from the list of founders of the legal entities Mir Igr LLC and GSC Ukraine LLC, which hold the rights to the GSC Game World brand.
This time, the studio decided not to ignore the claims. In a statement to Insider Gaming and other international publications, representatives of GSC Game World explained that they typically do not engage in public disputes or comment on such statements. However, according to the company, certain claims had spread widely and could create a false impression of the actual state of affairs, so the studio decided to make an exception and provide an official response.
GSC Game World emphasized that the information presented in Grygorovych’s statements is not true, which is why the company felt it necessary to clarify the situation.
Who funded the bulk of the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
In a statement to IGN, representatives of GSC Game World said that the studio’s owner, Maksym Krippa, was the main financial partner during the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. According to the company, he provided the majority of the budget needed to develop the game.
The studio specifically emphasized that Grygorovich was not involved in negotiations with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 partners or in the game’s production process at any stage of development. GSC noted that they adhered to prior agreements regarding his departure from the company’s management, so his assessments do not reflect the studio’s internal processes. The team also emphasized that the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was an extremely challenging period for GSC and urged everyone to rely solely on confirmed facts. In closing, the studio thanked the defenders of Ukraine, players, partners, and Maksym Krippa for their support, and announced that it continues to work on the game’s first major expansion.
GSC stated that it has no debts to Grygorovich
Separately, GSC Game World commented on the financial agreements with Serhiy Grygorovych. The studio assured that it had fulfilled all obligations for which payment deadlines had already passed, and that reports of alleged overdue debt to the former owner are untrue.
At the same time, the company declined to disclose details of the agreements due to confidentiality clauses, noting that any disputes should be resolved through legal channels rather than via public statements. GSC also emphasized that it reserves the right to protect the company’s reputation and interests through legal means.
Meanwhile, GSC Game World continues to work on the first story-driven expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The DLC is scheduled for release in the summer of 2026, and the studio has recently been actively building anticipation among the audience by regularly publishing new materials and details about the upcoming content. However, the developers have not yet revealed the exact release date for the expansion.