Deep Silver parent company Koch Media has secured worldwide publishing rights to new release S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky, with the exception of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The deal represents a major coup for the firm, which recently acquired Games That Matter – a studio established by former Rockstar Vienna founders and industry veterans Hannes Seifert and Niki Laber.

“The unique atmosphere of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. caused a sensation among gamers, while the sales have demonstrated the brand’s enormous potential,” said managing director of Koch Media Craig McNicol. “We are delighted with this chance to publish the S.T.A.L.K.E.R prequel together with GSC under the Deep Silver label.”

And CEO of GSC World Publishing Sergiy Grygorovych added: “We published Heroes of Annihilated Empires with Koch, and were happy with the co-operation. We are glad to continue it with S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky Project.”

Clear Sky Project’s plot is based on a ‘what-if’ scenario during the second Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. The title is set as a prequel to the original PC smash, which was released by THQ in 2007.