GSC closed down, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 presumed dead.

[2000AD]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/12 ... er-2-dead/

ORIGINAL: According to this report from Ukrainian news site UkraNews, GSC has been shut down by owner Sergei Grigorovich. The closure was apparently announced to the workforce earlier today. The autotranslation is messy, so if anyone can explain the sixth paragraph – which tries to speculate on what was going on – accurately, that would be great.

FIRST UPDATE: GSC deny the report on their twitter here. We’ve contacted them for a comment.

SECOND UPDATE: The denial tweet has now been deleted. Hmm. Still trying to get confirmation on this, but it’s looking like GSC is down. Dmitri Bourkovski (apparently not a GSC employee) has just tweeted “Not PR. GSC closed.”

THIRD UPDATE: GSC have got back to me with “Sorry, no comments at this point.” That does not sound promising.

FOURTH UPDATE: GSC’s social media manager announces he is looking for a new job here.

LATEST UPDATE: GSC’s twitter this morning announced there will be an official statement on Monday.

1c Ukraine’s Sergey Galenkin has blogged about the closure of GSC. He states: “GSC is closed, a fact confirmed by all. The team is almost completely dissolved, the state has only a few people.” Galenkin blames the cost of developing a PC only shooter for a European audience, and a failed console publishing deal, for the collapse of the developer.

The news about an official statement was echoed on the official stalker facebook grouppage as well.

This is a kick in the nuts, I really liked the Stalker series. I hope all the staff find a new job fast, that the IP gets a new home so the story can continue and that Stalker 2 is just 'delayed' and not 'canceled'.

[CaptHawkeye]

STALKER was like the only relevant game these guys ever made and it took them way too long. Let's be real, GSC was probably mismanaged. THQ basically had to force them to get out STALKER in 07 because the way they were handling things it was going to be the next Duke Nukem Forever. Hell as released it was broken, unfinished, and obviously not the game they had set out to make.

Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat were expansion packs, not full games. Just building on what was already there. I bet they never even got past preliminary planning for STALKER 2.

[Nephtys]

It's a pity that they closed down before finishing a game.

[Stark]

THQ should have turfed them for wasting money much earlier.