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The highly anticipated survival horror shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, achieved such phenomenal success in its home country that it overwhelmed Ukraine's internet infrastructure. Let's delve into the details of this remarkable launch and the developers' reaction.

A Nation Enters The Zone

The sheer popularity of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 on its November 20th release date caused a significant internet slowdown across Ukraine. Major internet providers, Tenet and Triolan, reported normal daytime speeds plummeting in the evening due to the massive number of simultaneous downloads. Triolan's Telegram announcement, as translated by ITC, attributed the issue to "increased load on the channels due to the massive interest in the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R."

Even after successfully downloading the game, many players experienced login and loading delays. This nationwide internet disruption persisted for several hours before resolving. The developers at GSC Game World expressed a mixture of pride and astonishment at this unprecedented event.

Creative director Mariia Grygorovych shared, "It was difficult for the entire country, and the internet outage was a negative aspect, but at the same time, it was incredible!" She continued, emphasizing the positive impact: "For our team, the most important thing is that we brought a bit of joy to people in Ukraine. We achieved something positive for our homeland."

This overwhelming popularity translated into impressive sales figures: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 sold a staggering 1 million copies within just two days of its release. Despite acknowledged performance issues and bugs, the game's reception was exceptionally positive globally, particularly in Ukraine.

GSC Game World, a Ukrainian studio operating from offices in Kyiv and Prague, faced challenges bringing the game to market. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine caused multiple launch delays, but the team persevered, releasing the game in November. GSC remains dedicated to addressing the game's bugs and performance issues through ongoing updates; a significant third patch was released earlier this week.