Thu, Apr 26, 2012 | 01:09 BST
Rumour – S.T.A.L.K.E.R. license sold to Bethesda
Chalk this one up as “wishful thinking” if you like, but reports out of East Europe suggest S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 may not be ready for burial just yet.
Stalker-GSC.ru has got hold of a statement attributed to GSC World owner Sergei Grigorovich, but wouldn’t vouch for its authenticity.
“I realized that this concept of the STALKER will not be of interest to many players and decided to [cancel development],” it says, according to auto-translate.
“Announcement will not be shown instead, all that the team managed to do without me. STALKER brand into the hands of Bethesda Games. I’m leaving the game development.”
Bethesda has nothing to say on the matter, unfortunately.
In December, Grigorovich apparently announced that he would close GSC World, ending S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2′s development.
Official information has been hard to come by, and although it was clear former staff members were working hard to try and keep the project alive, the team admitted this week that it had not been able to secure the rights to the game.
So. Who has them? Dunh dunh dunh.
Thanks, Kotaku.
15 
Posted in: Rumour, Shooter
Tags: gsc world, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Sergei Grigorovich
15 comments
#1
Charlie Sheen
26/04/12, 1:14 am
nooo fucking way
hopefully this is true cant wait to play stalker on xbox
#2
Purple Demon
26/04/12, 1:34 am
Terrible news. I was excited about this to the point of planning to get it on both PC and 360, but not if Bethesda take it up. I’d rather it got buried.
#3
Neuromancer
26/04/12, 2:15 am
#4
OrbitMonkey
26/04/12, 2:20 am
Lol, I can almost hear the sharp intake’s of breath. Soon to be followed by the colossal whine of “Not after what they did to Fallout!”
I hope Bethesda consolize the shit out of this niche little title!! Fallout 3 in a post-chernobyl Russian environment? Oh yes please!! nom nom nom
#5
KodyxDestroyer
26/04/12, 3:44 am
I highly doubt Bethesda bought this. I mean they already have the Fallout rights why would they need another post apocalypse shooter. The only two reasons I could think of would be to control post apocalyptic shooters or two finish Stalker 2 and release it.
@1 Fuck you, you’ll never have S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Xbox its way to demanding.
@4 Really? you’re going to hope they purposely destroy a franchise?
#6
Soong
26/04/12, 6:33 am
“the team admitted this week that it had not been able to secure the rights to the game.
So. Who has them? Dunh dunh dunh.”
It’s called research – the very same twitter feed that was quoted in the articles you quoted about the cancellation also says this a few tweets up:
“The rights to the Stalker brand are owned by GSC’s founder Sergiy Grygorovych.”
Dunh dunh dunh
#7
Erthazus
26/04/12, 7:02 am
This is terrible. Not because of Fallout, but because they don’t have a developer with Russian/Ukrainian roots to make such a game.
It’s going to be Call Of Duty with corridors, soviet stuff that has nothing to do with it and ridiculous US type of American characters and stupid accent.
It has nothing to do with consolization and etc. If people from the West don’t understand then, it’s a tragedy.
@OB, “I hope Bethesda consolize the shit out of this niche little title!! Fallout 3 in a post-chernobyl Russian environment? Oh yes please!! nom nom nom”
It’s not niche. It’s sold over 4 million units.
and to make Fallout 3 in post-chernobyl Russian environment, there must be a developer that can do this.
So you are incorrect in both terms, even if it is trolling… or not.
#8
Maximum Payne
26/04/12, 8:09 am
Better Bethesda then no one.
THQ could have also bought it they weren’t broke
#9
Hunam
26/04/12, 8:26 am
I honestly have no idea how a non-ukranian dev could ever do justice to the zone.
#10
freedoms_stain
26/04/12, 8:28 am
I don’t mind if Bethesda continue to make STALKER games. I do mind if they use Gamebryo or Creation Engine whatever they’re calling it now.
#11
GwynbleiddiuM
26/04/12, 8:46 am
@8 better no one than Bethesda
#12
YoungZer0
26/04/12, 10:27 am
Terrible News indeed. Not many western (if any) understand how to deliver this atmosphere of thick melancholy. So far only the guys at 4A Games and GSC Game World understand how to do it.
#13
Old MacDonald
26/04/12, 1:59 pm
Sounds unlikely. What would be their reason for buying it when they have their own successful post-apocalyptic franchise?
#14
The_Red
26/04/12, 3:18 pm
Wow, just wow. I was expecting anything but this. Seriously? Bethesda? Well, at least there’s Metro Last Light to look forward to. I know it’s a really different game but 2033 had a STALKER feel to it.
Hopefully it isn’t true but if it is…
#15
ManuOtaku
26/04/12, 3:36 pm
Well i just hope if bethesda did in fact decided to purchase this IP, that they had also decided to hire some of the staff that handle this series from the start, just in order to maintain the original vision, i think that will be the smartest thing to do, at least thats what i do hope for.