The survival horror shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, proved so popular in its home country that it caused a significant nationwide internet slowdown. Let's delve into the launch day drama and hear from the developers.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Ukraine's Internet Goes Dark (Almost)
The Zone Takes Over
On November 20th, the launch day of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Ukrainian internet providers Tenet and Triolan reported a dramatic evening slowdown. The culprit? Thousands of Ukrainian gamers simultaneously downloading the highly anticipated game. As reported by ITC, Triolan stated, "Currently, there is a temporary decrease in Internet speed in all directions. This is due to the increased load on the channels due to the massive interest in the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R."
The impact wasn't limited to downloads. Even those who successfully downloaded the game experienced slow login times. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2-induced internet outage lasted for hours before resolving as players completed their downloads.
GSC Game World, the developers, expressed a mixture of pride and astonishment. Creative director Mariia Grygorovych shared, "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 continued, emphasizing the positive impact: "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 release, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 achieved a remarkable 1 million copies sold. Despite initial performance issues and bugs, its success was global, particularly strong in its home country.
GSC Game World, a Ukrainian studio operating from offices in Kyiv and Prague, faced challenges bringing the game to market. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine caused multiple launch delays. However, the team persevered, releasing the game in November. They remain dedicated to addressing bugs and optimizing performance, recently releasing their third major patch.
