Russian Players of Stalker 2 Reportedly Bribed to Review-Bomb Ukrainian-Made Game

Allegations of Review Bombing in Stalker 2

Players of Stalker 2 are reportedly facing solicitations via social media, with financial incentives offered to manipulate reviews for the game developed by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World. This scenario has emerged amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions, suggesting a coordinated effort to undermine the game’s reception.

Stalker 2: A Long-Awaited Launch

After 14 years since its initial announcement, Stalker 2 has finally reached the gaming community. Despite encountering a variety of performance challenges upon release, the game has achieved remarkable commercial success. In its first 48 hours, it sold over one million copies, marking a significant milestone for GSC Game World. This achievement comes after a tumultuous development process, exacerbated by the Russian invasion which forced the team to temporarily suspend operations and relocate to the Czech Republic.

Challenges Faced by GSC Game World

Throughout the development of Stalker 2, GSC Game World has faced numerous cyber attacks and harassment issues. As the game goes live, these challenges have not subsided, with new tactics reportedly being implemented to impact player sentiment. Allegations of review bombing are now surfacing, particularly from Russian players who are purportedly incentivized to leave negative feedback.

Understanding Review Bombing and Bribery

Evidence of this alleged review manipulation surfaced on social media, with a specific example highlighting monetary offers for poor reviews. Currently, Stalker 2 maintains a Mostly Positive rating on Steam, encompassing nearly 40,000 reviews. However, this could potentially shift if these allegations prove to be impactful.

“We have an offer for you; leave reviews about the game and earn real money,” reads a text purportedly sent via Telegram.

Financial Incentives Behind the Scheme

The compensation structure for negative reviews is notably modest. For instance, a single negative review on Steam offers a payment of 100 Russian Rubles, which is less than a dollar USD. Allegedly, this incentive strategy extends to TikTok, where users could receive 0.80 Rubles per negative comment and must submit over 150 comments to earn the equivalent of $1 USD. Alternatively, creators posting negative videos would need around 4,500 views to receive a similar amount, equating to just 5 Rubles for every 200 views received.

This insidious practice has raised concerns regarding the integrity of game reviews and player experiences, with researcher Dr. Mariia Kramarenko openly discussing it on X (formerly Twitter).

Current Status and Future Developments

Though the full impact of this alleged bribery scheme remains to be seen, Stalker 2 is currently holding up well on the review front. Players on Steam must invest substantial game time before being able to leave reviews, limiting the effectiveness of such bribes. It takes both time and financial resources to execute these strategies across multiple accounts, which may deter potential review bombers.

We will continue to monitor this unfolding situation and provide updates as necessary to keep the gaming community informed.

For more detailed insights, you can read the full article here.