S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2's Popularity Stalled Ukraine's Web

The phenomenal success of the survival horror shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, in Ukraine caused a significant nationwide internet slowdown. The game's November 20th launch saw a massive surge in simultaneous downloads, overwhelming Ukrainian internet providers Tenet and Triolan. Both providers reported a substantial drop in internet speeds in the evening, directly attributed to the high volume of downloads. Triolan's Telegram announcement cited the "increased load on the channels due to the massive interest in the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R." as the cause.

Even after successful downloads, many players experienced slow login times and loading issues. This widespread internet disruption lasted for several hours before resolving as players completed their downloads. GSC Game World, the developer, expressed both pride and surprise at the event. Creative director Mariia Grygorovych commented, "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! 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."

The game's popularity is undeniable, achieving 1 million copies sold within just two days of its release. Despite acknowledged performance issues and bugs, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 performed exceptionally well globally, particularly in its native Ukraine.

GSC Game World, a Ukrainian studio with offices in Kyiv and Prague, faced challenges in releasing the game, including delays caused by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, they remained committed to the launch and have since released several major patches to address bugs, optimize performance, and fix crashes. The third significant patch was released earlier this week, demonstrating their ongoing dedication to improving the player experience.