GSC Game World founder Sergiy Grygorovych has revealed that the development budget for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was fully recouped before the game even launched, thanks to a deal with Xbox. In a recent video interview, Grygorovych confirmed that Microsoft paid a premium to secure a 12-month console exclusivity window for the title.
A Profitable Exclusivity Deal
According to Grygorovych, the financial agreement was substantial enough to cover the entirety of the game's production costs. "We took more than the cost of Stalker 2," he said via translation. "It paid for itself before the first day."
The deal was finalized quickly, with the founder noting that Xbox representatives brought the necessary documentation to the studio within about a week. The platform holder's interest was reportedly driven by the strong performance of the game's trailers on YouTube, which accumulated several million views.
Impact on Platform Availability
The agreement effectively kept S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl off competing consoles for one year. Following the expiration of this 12-month exclusivity window, the game subsequently launched on PlayStation 5. While timed exclusivity deals are common in the gaming industry, this instance stands out because the payment exceeded the game's total development budget.
Grygorovych acknowledged that Sony also engages in similar practices by paying for timed exclusives, but noted that this specific arrangement with Microsoft was unique in his experience for providing full cost recovery prior to release.