STALKER 2 developers abandon in-game NFT NPC plans after fans revolt

Not everything crypto is gold, the developers of STALKER 2 learned the hard way this week, as they announced plans for an NFT-based "STALKER metaverse." Fans of the popular post-apocalyptic franchise voiced their frustration with the decision, saying that the non-fungible token idea is bad for the environment due to the huge amount of energy that goes to maintain its blockchain technology. Some critics even accused GSC Game World, the dev shop behind the upcoming STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl edition, of chasing a trend in order to lock in more profits.

Initially, GSC Game World announced that they will be ready with a complementary STALKER metaverse by the time Heart of Chernobyl ships. It would have given fans the ability to buy and trade NFTs that revolve around the STALKER theme and characters. To spice things up, the GSC Game World marketing team even intended to have three NPCs in the game itself which would don the scanned faces of the people who owned the respective STALKER NFT. In any case, the developers put those NFT plans on ice after the outcry, and came out with the following statement:

We hear you. Based on the feedback we received, we've made a decision to cancel anything NFT-related in STALKER 2. The interests of our fans and players are the top priority for the team. We're making this game for you to enjoy — whatever the cost is. If you care, we care too.

Before that, however, they argued that NFTs were just one way for an independent game shop to stay afloat in such trying times, as you can see from the screenshot below. According to the Blockchain Game Alliance, non-fungible token (NFT) games made US$2.32 billion in revenue in Q3, or about a 22% of all NFT trading. Well, it looks like STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl won't be among such titles when it is released on April 28, 2022, at a US$60 price for PC and Xbox.

Preorder S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl for Xbox Series X on Amazon