S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 canceled, ideas funneled into 'Survarium'

Developer GSC Game World has formed into Vostok Games, dropping S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and putting those ideas in a new title, Survarium.

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Despite assurances of continued development just last month, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has been officially canceled. The silver lining to this cloud is that the team is pouring many ideas from the now-canned project into Survarium, a free-to-play MMO that the team calls "more ambitious."

Developer GSC Game World made the announcement through a series of tweets on its Twitter account. It has also already set up an official site and Facebook account for Survarium. The first tweet read, "despite no official continuation of Stalker 2. it looks like the ideas and spirit will live on in the team's new game - 'Survarium'."

Since then, other tweets have revealed a new studio (Vostok Games), which contains the entire team from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, to work on Survarium. The studio calls it "more than just an MMO," with the option of player versus the game world as in S2. The company promises a developer diary for Survarium later tonight, and a Q&A tomorrow to shed more light on the project.

So why is the project being dropped? "All those asking about funding etc. That is not the issue," a tweet reads. "We were unable to secure the IP rights to continue with the Stalker franchise."

More details are forthcoming, but in the meantime the newly formed Vostok Games has released a short video explaining the changes. At least, as much as possible in such a cheeky way.

Editor-In-Chief
From The Chatty
  • reply
    April 25, 2012 10:00 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 canceled, ideas funneled into 'Survarium'.

    Developer GSC Game World has formed into Vostok Games, dropping S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and putting those ideas in a new title, Survarium.

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      April 25, 2012 10:08 AM

      So they couldn't get the IP. A shame.

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      April 25, 2012 10:17 AM

      GOD DAMN IT

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      April 25, 2012 10:31 AM

      Get out of here Stalker!

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      April 25, 2012 10:35 AM

      [deleted]

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      April 25, 2012 10:36 AM

      [deleted]

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        April 25, 2012 10:42 AM

        This.

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        April 25, 2012 10:48 AM

        Well one Sergiy Grygorovich owns the US trademarks related to the STALKER franchise.

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          April 25, 2012 1:57 PM

          That's what they're (Vostok) saying in the twitter feed. From what I'm reading there he owns the whole thing, assets and all.

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        April 25, 2012 10:55 AM

        The publisher was THQ, since STALKER was GSC's first major game, I'm guessing THQ got the rights to the game. Think Codemasters & Bohemia. Bohemia created OpFlash, but codemasters owns the name.

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          April 25, 2012 10:59 AM

          The problem being that THQ didn't publish any of the subsequent games and they don't own any of the trademarks either. Strongly indicating they own no rights to the IP other publishing right to the first game.

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            April 25, 2012 11:16 AM

            That makes no fucking sense then, unless an individual person owns the trademark and he is just pissing in the stream of their ancestors.

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              April 25, 2012 11:39 AM

              Well it doesn't make any sense that for sure and an individual person DOES own the trademarks.

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        April 25, 2012 11:50 AM

        It may be that GSC that owns the IP and this is not GSC changing its name but rather many of the people who worked at GSC forming a new company that does not include the actual owner of GSC or that one of the founders of GSC like Sergei Grigorovich owns the IP and is not involved in this new company. Or it could be that the owners of the rights to the book Roadside Picnic which "inspired" Stalker threatened to sue and were given part of or all of the rights.

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          April 25, 2012 12:14 PM

          That developer diary seems to imply that this is what happened: "or that one of the founders of GSC like Sergei Grigorovich owns the IP and is not involved in this new company."

          It seems that there was some negotiations between Vostok Games and him that broke down. This was after he announced the closue of the GSC studio.

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        April 25, 2012 4:54 PM

        [deleted]

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      April 25, 2012 10:39 AM

      what?? NOOOooooooo-

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      April 25, 2012 10:57 AM

      Very sad. Post apocalypse games in a MMO format just seem wrong. How will they capture the feeling of desperate isolation with hundreds of players?

      Although ... The old Republic does it well on my server.

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        April 25, 2012 11:02 AM

        Agreed. I mean, I like the idea of running across the occasional other player -- that just seems cool, but, a horde of players? No thanks.

        Also, LOL at swtor comment. Sadly you're not wrong there.

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        April 25, 2012 6:55 PM

        There were all kinda people in Stalker! Bandits, Military, Stalkers, Scientists...Now some of those people you run across fighting each other will be human controlled players instead.

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      April 25, 2012 10:59 AM

      At first I was like: Goddamnit! But as I thought about it, we all explored the hell out of Chernobyl, and a lot of the areas in the past renditions of the game have been just upgraded graphically. Coming out with a new IP maybe based on previous works sounds like more fun to me.

      I'm disappointed but I'm happy at the same time.

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      April 25, 2012 11:04 AM

      Nooooooo. Can't we do anything. I love stalker and,own 2 copies of each game.

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      April 25, 2012 11:58 AM

      Yay, because "MMO" and "free to play" are two terms that always indicate a high quality product is sure to be on the way!

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      April 25, 2012 12:00 PM

      boooo!

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      April 25, 2012 12:03 PM

      I'm okay with this. I feel like the story had really nowhere else to go unless they were going to do a reboot.

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      April 25, 2012 12:16 PM

      In a couple years I think we will see a news item about Survarium MMO canceled or re-scoped into an action game.

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      April 25, 2012 12:36 PM

      FUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!

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      April 25, 2012 12:42 PM

      fuck this gay earth

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      April 25, 2012 12:45 PM

      NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

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      April 25, 2012 12:46 PM

      Fuck everything.

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      April 25, 2012 1:03 PM

      Always boils down to money and assholes. That's a shame.

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        April 25, 2012 1:08 PM

        Wait, are we talking about strip clubs? I'm confused.

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      April 25, 2012 1:06 PM

      so what publisher is gonna steal the ip in 20 years and make a Gritty Modern Remake with skrillex

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      April 25, 2012 1:11 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 25, 2012 1:17 PM

      [deleted]

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        April 25, 2012 1:19 PM

        hmm yase, a new MMOFPS that is free2play is very novel

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      April 25, 2012 1:23 PM

      I have nothing else to live for....

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      April 25, 2012 1:28 PM

      OMGWTFBBQ!!!

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      April 25, 2012 1:31 PM

      Do not want mmo

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      April 25, 2012 1:40 PM

      That is a terrible name!

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      April 25, 2012 1:42 PM

      FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

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      April 25, 2012 1:47 PM

      Don't really care about the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. IP if the original team is intact and funneling their ideas in the new IP.

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      April 25, 2012 2:02 PM

      I missed this animation video from S.T.A.L.K.E.R (from 2011!). 2: https://vimeo.com/39690265 The bloodsucker looks very fluid and the NPC humans have (had?) nicer, more complex idle animations.

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      April 25, 2012 2:20 PM

      Details from Twitter (I know, chat log etc.):

      Will Survarium at least be in the same S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe, at all?
      Same concept but greatly more expanded.

      Keep developing your game under the name STALKER without the dots, you dont need to drop it entirely please respond
      We cannot. It is not just the name. All the game content, story etc are all part of the IP rights.

      How were they lost in the first place? I thought STALKER was always GSC's baby?
      The rights to the Stalker brand are owned by GSC's founder Sergiy Grygorovych.

      I always thought that GSC owned STALKER brand... How is that that you had to buy it from someone?
      GSC is owned by Sergiy Grygorovych, It's founder. He owns all IP rights to the Stalker brand.

      GSC was dead at 2011 and dev team has Independent with new partner, but cant use "STALKER" name because of CEO. is this correct?
      It's not just the name we cannot use. We cannot use any of the content.


      Money was not the issue. We were not able to secure the IP rights and thus unable to continue development.

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        April 25, 2012 3:21 PM

        What I don't get it, if money is no issue, why couldn't they just have contiued STALKER 2 development at GSC ? To me this sounds like some kind of dispute between the development team and their (now former) CEO.

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          April 25, 2012 3:57 PM

          That sounds about right, yep.

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          April 25, 2012 3:58 PM

          someone banged CEO's wife and he got upset.

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          April 25, 2012 5:11 PM

          I think they're saying that when GSC shut down Grygorovych is went his own way, not with the Vostok guys.

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      April 25, 2012 3:52 PM

      Is it me, or does the girl in the blue shirt have no legs?

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      April 25, 2012 4:18 PM

      Lame-arium.

      MMO?? Nah, I'll pass..

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      April 25, 2012 4:23 PM

      Fuck you!!

      I want Stalker 2 >:[

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      April 25, 2012 4:36 PM

      woah, looks like the CEO stalker sold the rights to Bethesda

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      April 25, 2012 4:53 PM

      oh fuck this

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      April 25, 2012 5:55 PM

      I will miss getting in the hot tub with this team.

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      April 25, 2012 6:31 PM

      Just have the new game set in Detroit or something and call it something other than STALKER problem solved.

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      April 25, 2012 6:44 PM

      gald they are continuing but MMOFPS is not what i expected or wanted

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      April 25, 2012 6:58 PM

      These guys have such a horrible development track recortd. Wasn't ther first one almost canceled as well? It took them how long to make it? And then they make two expansions that have just as many problems as the first game...

      cool concept, bad developers

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        April 26, 2012 12:06 AM

        yeah the games were buggy, but they were bloody amazing games :)

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      April 25, 2012 11:41 PM

      Any truth in the rumor that Bethesda bought them out?

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      April 26, 2012 12:40 AM

      THANKS FOR THE AWESOME NEWS

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      April 26, 2012 1:37 AM

      NIEEEEEEEET

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      April 26, 2012 1:40 AM

      GG Obama

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      April 26, 2012 3:54 AM

      Dam one of the best fps games has just been killed off so we can get more shit like halo or copy pasted call of shit games.

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      April 26, 2012 4:22 AM

      I never asked for this

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      April 26, 2012 7:50 AM

      would like to see them get together with 4A. It seems like the 4A guys left due to differences with the founder of GSC, and now Vostok's done the same. Should work together again, without him

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      April 27, 2012 12:16 PM

      I'm so sad. . .. :'''(

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      May 1, 2012 2:29 AM

      This is very sad news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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      February 8, 2013 3:34 PM

      we still have the other 3 games to play, if this mmo should turn out to be a fail, just try clear sky on master the quest 'find a way through the construction site' should be nice and hard

      R.I.P. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. we will miss you

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