Founded in 1995, GSC Game World has become the most renowned game development studio in Ukraine and a leading developer in Europe. Since 2004 the proprietary worldwide publishing branch has been operating within the company. In April 2007 the company's most ambitious project-Survival FPS S.T.A.L.K.E.R.- Shadow of Chernobyl, set in the near-future Chornobyl exclusion zone-was released worldwide. The game received numerous awards at some of the biggest international trade shows, and received universal acclaim from critics and players. The success of the game has been validated not only by the ""Game of the Year"" and ""Most Atmospheric Shooter"" awards, but also by maintaining top spots on various sales charts. In the former USSR states alone, the game sold over half a million copies in the first two weeks. With the two subsequently released add-ons, the worldwide sales of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series approach five million copies to-date.