GSC Game World Debunks Founder's Stalker 2 Xbox Exclusivity Claims

By Sakib Khandokar, Lead Analyst Published Jul 23, 2026, 10:13 AM UTC 2 min read

Rumor Report Clearly attributed report

GSC Game World Debunks Founder's Stalker 2 Xbox Exclusivity Claims

GSC Game World has formally refuted public statements made by former studio founder Sergiy Grygorovych regarding the funding agreement between Microsoft and the development team for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The developer stated that claims regarding Xbox exclusivity payments surpassing the entire production budget of the game are inaccurate.

Quick Facts

Game: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Key Subject: Xbox exclusivity funding and development budget claims
Primary Sources: GSC Game World statement to IGN; interview via YouTuber OLDboi

The Origin of the Exclusivity Claims

The controversy stems from an interview with YouTuber OLDboi, in which Grygorovych claimed that GSC received more money from the Xbox exclusivity deal than S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 cost to produce. In the interview, which appears to have been machine translated from Ukrainian, Grygorovych alleged that Microsoft initiated the deal after seeing the game's first trailer and that the project paid for itself before launch.

Grygorovych left GSC Game World in 2023.

GSC Game World's Official Response

Following continued public discussion, GSC issued a statement to IGN to address the remarks directly. The studio explained that prolonged silence could be misconstrued as validation of false information.

"In particular, his recent claims, including his statements regarding the relationship between Stalker 2 and the Xbox teams, do not reflect the actual facts," the studio said. The developer emphasized that due to agreements reached between the parties, Grygorovych was not involved in partner negotiations for the project or in development throughout its full production cycle. GSC maintained that it fully honored these agreements, meaning Grygorovych's comments do not accurately reflect the studio's operational activities.

Additionally, GSC clarified that the majority of the development budget for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was financed by the company's current owner, Ukrainian entrepreneur Max Krippa.

Current Studio Focus

With the dispute addressed, GSC Game World indicated that the team is focused on ongoing support for the shooter across PC and Xbox Series X/S. Developers are currently assembling a significant update alongside the game's first major story-focused expansion.