Rumour Mill: Bethesda taking over STALKER 2?

That's what blogger and former 1C marketing guy Sergey Galyonkin claims in this post (A Google Translate version is here) - though Bethesda has yet to comment. If true though, it wouldn't be the first time it took over a popular post-apocalyptic series, and there's definitely a gap to slide into - the original team has long since set up a new company and moved onto a new game called Survarium.

This story first kicked around back in April, with former GSC studio head and rights owner Sergei Grigorovich flat-out denying that Bethesda had bought the rights to the series. Licensed is a different word though, easily allowing for a Bethesda developed STALKER 2, without ruling out more permanent collaboration or full-on later acquisition if things seem to be going well.

Promising? Devastating? More on the story it happens, but where do you stand on the basic idea? Remember, Bethesda isn't just the Fallout/The Elder Scrolls developer, but teams like Arkane and id, and with enough resources to have its pick of third party developers if it chooses. It might even decide it doesn't have to use the Gamebryo engine for once, though... well... it's unlikely, isn't it?

While we wait for further updates, here's a quick reminder of what 'classic' STALKER was like.

(And yes, I know I'm not typing 'STALKER' correctly, but I refuse to add the silly full stops until someone gives me a good answer of what it's meant to be an abbreviation of. Harrumph.)

Non-Update Update: Bethesda responds with a "No Comment" over on VG247

Latest in FPS
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Ogryn
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide adds a psychic horde murderzone mode and makes Ogryns even smashier
Starfield's companion robot giving a thumbs-up
Former Bethesda dev who quit Starfield to go solo says it's 'much less stressful as an indie' without daily meetings or 'office politics': it's 'very refreshing to just care about the game'
A crew of prospectors in Wildgate, featuring a robot, a rabbit man, and a small aquatic creature in a combination mech/aquarium.
Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime's new company is putting Sea of Thieves-style shenanigans in space with a new crew-based shooter
Team Fortress Spy being shocked
An FPS studio pulled its game from Steam after it got caught linking to malware disguised as a demo, but the dev insists it was actually the victim of a labyrinthine conspiracy
Neighbors Suburban Warfare screenshot a child aims a slingshot at a man from across a cul-de-sac.
A beta of backyard FPS Neighbors: Suburban Warfare is out now, and the balance discussion is hysterical: nerf trash can lids and children
Fragpunk
Somebody finally figured out casual Counter-Strike
Latest in News
Two brightly colored stormtroopers dressed like Run-DMC stand in front of PAX Australia's WELCOME HOME banner.
Tickets for PAX Australia 2025 are on sale now
An Enshrouded player in a recreation of Erebor from The Lord of the Rings
Kings under the Mountain! 33 Enshrouded players spent 10,000 hours to recreate this iconic location from The Lord of the Rings
A mech awakens.
Mecha Break developer is considering unlocking all mechs following open beta feedback
Lara Croft Unified Art
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again