Shacknews Best Developer of 2024 - GSC Game World

Making video games is difficult to do under the best circumstances. Making a video game that people love and purchase is rare even when everything goes right. GSC Game World accomplished both of those feats while their home country was being invaded by Russia. A monumental task that words will never do justice, and the reason that this resilient studio has won the Shacknews Best Developer of 2024 award.

Although S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was originally going to release in 2012, that never happened. In 2018 the game went into development for a second time and was scheduled to be released in 2022. However, on February 24, 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was delayed, with members of GSC Game World joining the defense of Ukraine. Volodymyr Yezhov, a member of the studio, died on December 22, 2022, during the Battle of Bakhmut. Exactly 1,000 days after the invasion of Ukraine began, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 released.

It would have been understandable if S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was a mess. Games release in rough shape all the time, and GSC Game World had every reason to limp across the finish line. This wasn’t the case, though, as S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is not only gorgeous and immersive, but it runs quite well. Yes, there were some bugs, but nothing that could derail the passion and detail that the developers poured into this world. Patches, as is the case with most newly released games, have only served to iron out whatever wrinkles did exist.

For releasing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl under the most dire circumstances, GSC Game World receives the Shacknews Best Developer of 2024.

Bill Lavoy

Managing Editor

Bill, who is also known as Rumpo, is a lifelong gamer and Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys putting in the work to create a great content, be it a wild feature or grinding out an in-depth collectible guide. Tweet him @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment about one of his articles.