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(Image credit: GSC Game World)
The team at Ukrainian developer GSC Game World has faced incredibly challenging working conditions while producing Stalker 2, with the war in Ukraine forcing the devs to pause production in 2022 and relocate to Prague. It’s understandable that the game’s release ended up being pushed back, and according to PR manager Zakhar Bocharov, Microsoft itself has been considerate in this regard. The Xbox owner isn’t publishing Stalker 2 – GSC Game World is doing that itself – but the two do have a deal to put the upcoming FPS title on Game Pass on its release day.
Expanding on this, Bocharov adds that he personally “never expected a corporation of this size to be so supportive.” He adds: “I can’t say the exact cases, but they helped in situations where they were not exactly supposed to. So they could easily [have said], ‘No, that’s not on us. That’s with you guys. Good luck. Figure it out.'”
The PR manager continues, noting that Xbox head Phil Spencer has personally been “very supportive and caring” to the devs, and reiterating the unexpectedness of the corporation being so “close to the developers who are in a bad situation.” He concludes: “That’s the professional connection we value a lot, because it would have been much different without them.”
While we’ll never know what Stalker 2 may have ended up looking like without Microsoft’s support, hopefully the final version will live up to fans’ expectations on November 20. I had the chance to playthe first 30 minutes of the game at Gamescom, and even though I got my ass kicked more times than I’d care to admit, the visuals and performance were great, leaving me feeling optimistic for its launch.
We’ll just have to wait and see if Stalker 2 ends up being one of thebest FPS games.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1
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4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”