STALKER 2 Achieves Significant Sales Milestone

Key Highlights

As of December 18, STALKER 2 has achieved profitability just weeks post-launch.
The game sold an impressive one million copies within the first 48 hours, and current estimates might suggest that this figure has potentially doubled.
Development costs are estimated to be around $80 million.

The recent release of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been met with remarkable commercial success, as confirmed by a senior executive at GSC Game World. The game reached a crucial profitability milestone only weeks after its debut.

Launched on November 20, STALKER 2 broke immediate sales records, hitting the one million copies sold mark just 48 hours after its release, as reported by the Ukrainian developer via social media platforms.

With the game approaching its first-month anniversary, GSC owner Maxim Krippa revealed in an interview with Forbes Ukraine that it has indeed turned a profit. While specific updated sales figures were not disclosed, Krippa mentioned that the project budget was in the “tens of millions.”Analyzing publicly available LinkedIn data reveals that GSC employed approximately 400 staff members as of late 2024. Assuming this workforce size has remained stable since development resumed in 2018—and using Glassdoor’s reported average salary for Ukrainian game developers at around $36,000 annually—it’s reasonable to estimate the game’s production costs to exceed $80 million.

Enerhetyk Palace of Culture in STALKER 2

Sales Figures and Break-Even Analysis

Considering the marketplace dynamics, GSC retains approximately $42 from each sale of the STALKER 2 Standard Edition, which is retailing at $59.99. To recoup an estimated $80 million budget, the studio would need around 1.9 million sales. However, the inclusion of higher-cost tiers—such as the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions priced at $79.99 and $109.99 respectively—means the actual break-even number could be slightly lower. Additionally, sales through the Epic Games Store, which imposes a reduced 12% cut, are likely to influence total revenue positively, even if these platforms represent a smaller portion of overall sales due to GSC’s initial launch on Xbox Series X/S and PC.

A Bright Future for STALKER

The fact that STALKER 2 is already in the green, as outlined by Krippa, indicates that it may have sold close to two million copies by December 18. This success bodes well for fans of the franchise, boosting the possibilities of future installments.

GSC’s ability to turn a profit in such a short time frame is especially significant given the game’s limited initial platform availability. An eventual PlayStation 5 release could substantially increase overall sales. While there has been no official confirmation regarding a PlayStation version yet, a court filing during the Epic Games vs. Apple legal proceedings back in mid-2021 hinted that Microsoft secured only a three-month exclusive window for STALKER 2. It remains uncertain if there have been any developments on this front, or if GSC is in the process of developing a PS5 version.

Source: Glassdoor, Screen Rant

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