In the fall of 2023, it became known about the change of ownership of the legendary Ukrainian game studio GSC Game World. According to official registers, the new beneficial owner of the company became the famous Ukrainian entrepreneur Maksim Krippa, replacing Serhiy Hryhorovych, who left the list of beneficiaries on September 22 last year. We tell you when and how Maksim Krippa came to GSC Game World.
Change of Ownership and Investments by Maksim Krippa
The change of ownership follows a similar path that Maksim Krippa took before acquiring the esports team NAVI, where the deal was closed much earlier than it became known to the general public. The management of GSC Game World announced that Maksim Krippa became a partner of the developer back in 2020, but the structural features of the deal allowed this information to become public only recently.
In fact, traces of this transaction could be found as early as March 2023, but this information did not receive due attention. At that time, Vitaliy Volochai, head of Maincast, mentioned the entrepreneur's investment portfolio and that Maksim Krippa included the company GSC Game World, known for its work on the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
New Opportunities for GSC Game World
In recent years, Maksim Krippa has actively invested in the development of GSC Game World, which led to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl becoming one of the most anticipated games. Maksim Krippa constantly supports the developers and their creative ideas, especially regarding the long-awaited game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, whose release has been postponed several times.
In April 2024, a new trailer for the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was released. A distinctive feature of this trailer was the use of the Ukrainian language in the voiceover and the focus on the depiction of Pripyat, rather than on battles with mutants.
Who is Maksim Krippa
Maksim Krippa's investments are not limited to the gaming industry. He is also the founder of the MK Foundation, which actively supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Maksim Krippa himself avoids publicity: his social media profiles are closed, and he became widely known only three years ago.
Overall, Maksim Krippa is now one of the key figures in the Ukrainian gaming and esports market, and his influence continues to grow. He continues to develop his investment portfolio and engage in charity.
Maksim Krippa and GSC Game World: History and Key Moments in the Developer's Development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
The change of ownership in the well-known Ukrainian game studio GSC Game World took place in the fall of 2023. The new beneficial owner of the company became entrepreneur Maksim Krippa, replacing Serhiy Hryhorovych, who left this position on September 22. Find out how this step opened a new stage in the studio's history.
Maksim Krippa's path to the GSC Game World deal resembles his previous investments, such as the acquisition of the esports team NAVI. Although the deal was officially announced recently, GSC Game World management confirmed that Krippa became a partner of the company back in 2020. At that time, he began investing in the company.
Mention of the deal could be noticed as early as March 2023, when Vitaliy Volochai, head of Maincast, mentioned that Krippa included GSC Game World in his investment portfolio. At that time, this information remained unnoticed.
Maksim Krippa was chosen as the new investor due to his good relations with the Hryhorovych family. After long negotiations, the parties reached an agreement, and the changes were registered in the official registers of Ukraine and the Czech Republic, where the company's office is also located. In Ukraine, the changes were registered on September 22, 2023, and in the Czech Republic - on September 27.
It is clarified that Maksim Krippa is a businessman from Ukraine who has assets in the IT sector and other industries in his investment portfolio. In particular, he actively participates in the development of esports projects. One of his first known assets was Maincast and NAVI. The financial results of the companies show that Maksim Krippa contributed to their growth and development in their niches.
For example, the NAVI deal dragged on for several years, and during the negotiations that took place in 2019 and 2020, the company demonstrated financial results that indicate stability and potential for growth.
During this period, NAVI's revenue amounted to 9.06 million euros, which reflects significant interest and support from the gaming community. And the company's net profit for these two years was 8986 euros.
Maksim Krippa - A New Level of Development for GSC Game World
This change of ownership opens up new opportunities for GSC Game World under the leadership of Maksim Krippa, who brings with him experience and new ideas for the studio's further development.
If you delve into the history of the developer of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., GSC Game World was founded by Serhiy Hryhorovych in 1995. Over time, it became known worldwide for games such as Cossacks and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. When choosing a company for investment, Maksim Krippa also noted that GSC Game World quickly gained recognition among gamers thanks to its innovative approaches and ability to create open-world games filled with atmosphere and immersive unique game universes.
One of the key features of GSC Game World is the unique combination of science fiction and post-apocalyptic elements, which gives their projects a special appeal and distinguishes them from other games. The first significant achievements of the studio were games from the Cossacks series. In 2001, Cossacks: European Wars debuted, which received international recognition and quickly became popular among players. This success led to the creation of the expansions "The Art of War" and "Back to War", which were also very successful.
In 2005, GSC Game World released Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars, immersing players in the era of the Napoleonic wars. Following this, in 2006, the expansion "Battle for Europe" was released, which expanded the gameplay and possibilities of the original game.
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, the continuation of which Maksim Krippa supports, is based on events surrounding the Chernobyl disaster and has become a landmark project for the company. It includes three games: "Shadow of Chernobyl" (2007), "Clear Sky" (2008), and "Call of Pripyat" (2009). These first- or third-person shooters managed to recreate the unique atmosphere of the exclusion zone, where players interact with radiation anomalies and mutants.
GSC Game World's projects not only solidified the company's status as an innovative developer in the global gaming industry but also contributed to the formation of new trends in creating game content. Their approach to game development has become a benchmark that inspires other studios to create high-quality and deep game worlds.
For a long time, the company could not start work on the second part of the project. But, investor Maksim Krippa, after starting cooperation with GSC Game World, helped resume work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. After closing the deal to acquire the company, businessman Maksim Krippa also agreed with the developers and directed investments into the development of the new part of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
In addition, the company is engaged in charity. Maksim Krippa funds GSC Game World's charitable projects.
Maksim Krippa Enters the Kyiv Real Estate Market - Investor Bought BC "Parus"
In November 2023, the curtain was lifted on one of the biggest deals in the capital's real estate market in the last decade. Ukrainian businessman Maksim Krippa received approval from the Antimonopoly Committee and successfully closed the deal to buy the business center "Parus". We tell you when and how the owner of one of Kyiv's tallest skyscrapers changed.
Maksim Krippa, known as the owner of esports companies NAVI and (25%) Maincast, bought the business center "Parus" in the center of Kyiv from businessman Vadym Stolar. It is unknown how long the negotiations lasted, but it became publicly known in November 2023. At that time, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine announced that investor Maksim Krippa had passed the regulator's check. It is about the fact that his subsidiary company applied for permission to buy BC "Parus".
Specifically, LLC "Ola Fine", whose beneficiary is Maksim Krippa, received permission to acquire more than 50% of "Parus Holding". This allows the company to get a larger share in the authorized capital. Thus, businessman Maksim Krippa became the ultimate beneficiary of BC "Parus".
Already in December, changes in the ownership structure took place in the company, as confirmed by state registers and Opendatabot. It is now indicated that the owner of BC is LLC "Ola Fine". At the same time, officially available information indicates that the ultimate beneficiary became Maksim Krippa. Significant changes have occurred in the ownership structure. Vadym Stolar and his ex-wife Inna Maishtruk are no longer the owners of BC.
The fact that Maksim Krippa became the main investor of the skyscraper marked the beginning of a new era for the business center, located at Mechnikova Street, 2.
What Maksim Krippa and His New Asset - BC Parus - Are Known For
The business center "Parus" in the center of Kyiv, known for its modern design and location, was built from 2004 to 2007. The basis of the structure is a monolithic frame technology with an inversion operational roof, which ensures its strength and durability. The handover of the reinforced concrete frame took place on February 13, 2006, and in November of that year, the building was put into operation.
"Parus" has 33 floors and a height of 133.1 meters (149.5 m with an antenna). The total area of the building is 70 thousand square meters, of which 50 thousand are leased. The usable area of the floors is 75,000 m², and the volume of the building is 300,676 m³. The building is equipped with modern engineering systems such as a central air conditioning system, autonomous heating, fire alarm, and video surveillance system.
"Parus" houses the offices of many well-known companies: banks, investment and energy companies, international corporations. On the first floor is the office of Pravex Bank, Raiffeisen Bank occupies the 4th and part of the 10th floors, Credit Europe Bank is located on the 9th floor, Renaissance Capital on the 14th, and the company "Sokrat" on the 8th.
DTEK, the leader of the Ukrainian energy sector, occupies the 23rd floor, while Metinvest, which includes mining and metallurgical enterprises in Ukraine, Europe, and the USA, is located on the 22nd floor.
"Parus" has repeatedly become the venue for interesting events and filming. In 2008, an advertising structure with the inscription "Concorde" was installed on the roof of the building, but it was dismantled a year later. Also, on May 28 of that year, three extreme sportsmen performed a base jump from the roof of "Parus".
Now BC "Parus" is awaiting new significant events in its history, as Maksim Krippa became an investor and beneficiary of the skyscraper. The businessman is a non-public person. Maksim Krippa practically does not appear in the media and social networks. The businessman is more focused on business. In the areas where Maksim Krippa invests, he is better known. This allows the entrepreneur to make big deals, like with BC, for example. Maksim Krippa is also the owner of esports companies NAVI and (partially, 25%) Maincast. After he joined them, the organizations showed significant growth. This is also attributed to the fact that Maksim Krippa invests heavily in his assets for development. This may also be expected for "Parus".