STALKER 2 Release Chokes Ukrainian Network Traffic

The highly anticipated survival horror shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, achieved phenomenal success in its home country, Ukraine, causing a significant nationwide internet slowdown. Let's delve into the details of this remarkable launch.

A Nation Enters The Zone

The game's November 20th launch overwhelmed Ukrainian internet infrastructure. Providers Tenet and Triolan reported drastically reduced speeds in the evening, directly attributing the issue to the massive simultaneous downloads by Ukrainian players. Triolan's statement, as translated, highlighted the "increased load on the channels due to the massive interest in the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R." Even after download, many experienced slow login and loading times. The internet disruption lasted for hours before resolving.

GSC Game World, the developer, expressed both pride and surprise at the event. 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 emphasized the positive impact, stating, "For us and our team, what's most important is, for some people in Ukraine, they feel a little bit happier than they were before release. We did something for our home country, something good for them."

This overwhelming popularity translated into impressive sales figures: one million copies sold within just two days of release. Despite acknowledged performance issues and bugs, the game's reception was exceptionally positive, particularly in Ukraine.

GSC Game World, a Ukrainian studio with offices in Kyiv and Prague, faced challenges due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which caused multiple launch delays. However, the team persevered, releasing the game in November. They remain committed to addressing bugs and optimizing performance, recently releasing their third major patch.