'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' Popularity Surges, Slowing Ukrainian Internet

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 due to the sheer volume of simultaneous downloads.

A Nation Enters the Zone

The game's November 20th launch overwhelmed Ukrainian internet infrastructure. Providers Tenet and Triolan reported normal daytime speeds plummeting in the evening, directly attributed to the massive influx of players downloading the game concurrently. Triolan's statement, as translated, cited "increased load on the channels due to the massive interest in the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R." as the cause of the slowdown.

Even after successful downloads, many players encountered login and loading delays. 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! 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: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 sold a remarkable 1 million copies within just two days of its release. Despite acknowledged performance issues and bugs, the game's success was undeniable, particularly in Ukraine.

GSC Game World, a Ukrainian studio operating from Kyiv and Prague, faced challenges in bringing the game to market. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine caused multiple launch delays, but the team persevered, releasing the game in November. They remain committed to addressing bugs and optimizing performance, recently releasing their third major patch.